Roger Federer’s Forehand Grip and Style

One important weapon required in any tennis player’s arsenal is modern forehand technique. In this lesson we will be using ‘a wall’ to develop modern forehand technique. This enables you to have a much simpler shorter backswing but you will be able to generate a lot more pace and spin. This method was designed by Rick Macci, who has coached the William sisters and many more professionals and is followed by most professional coaches. There are other unique ideas I have added to make things easier for you which I am going to tell in this lesson.

Let’s start by understanding the grip first. Most of the time semi western grip comes very handy in forehand shot. Here are 3 simple steps for you to make things easier-

grip
  1. Drop the racquet on the ground.
  2. Pick it up and hold it like a frying pan.
  3. As you get in to the ready position to return the serve hold the racquet with it facing straight towards the ground.

Lots of players like Rafael Nadal prefer this ready position with semi western grip for forehand shots. You don’t have to flip the whole racquet if you are on semi western to change the grip, you can make a very quick change. Some people worry that you have to make a big move or flip the racquet to change the grip but if you are at semi western grip all you have to do is make a slight change and you are there!

Here is a step by step instruction and few important things to remember as follows-

  1. Take a unit turn and elevate the elbow, just like if some one is behind you and you want to nudge him.
  2. Do not separate the arms and hold on to the racquet.
  3. Remember to keep the frame of the racquet forward; this will help in building the momentum.
  4. As you get ready for forehand shot remember not to use your arm or swing it back too much.
  5. Try to pivot your feet and twist your upper body only and get into the position.
  6. It is important that the strings of the racquet face the ground during the swing because if you don’t do that chances are that ball will fly out of the court.
  7. Rick Macci suggests an interesting move he calls as ‘good dog move’, in which you have to take a basket of ball (about the height of you waist) and place it on your side. After you swing your body and nudge the elbow up to move the racquet bring it to tap the basket after you separate your hands. You still want the wrist to be up and not drop else you will lose the power.
  8. In the next move your wrist needs to be laid back or bent back so that you get the power to hit the ball as your hand swing racquet to hit the forward shot .
  9. In the follow through the racquet should go to rest on the shoulder.
Modern Forehand Lesson


While practicing the forehand with the wall, just throw the ball on the wall once your racquet is on the basket as mention in step 7 and hit the shot, the more you practice the better it gets. If you want to practice for topspin shots there is a tool called ‘topspin pro’ which you can get and follow the same routine as above, however you just have to brush the ball. But if you don’t have the tool you can practice by rubbing the ball on the wall with the racquet and practice the top spin.

So this was a step by step guide for modern forehand technique, just remember the more you practice the perfect it gets, until next time this is Peter Freeman signing-off.

Modern Tennis Forehand – Technique & Tips

The modern forehand is part of the evolution of professional tennis players technique and footwork and maximizes the levers in the stroke.

The modern forehand is part of the evolution of professional tennis players technique and footwork. The modern tennis forehand technique is a combination of maximizing the levers in the stroke.

ROGER FEDERER OF SWITZERLAND RETURNS A FOREHAND TO NICOLAS KIEFER OF GERMANY DURING THE FRENCH OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

The modern forehand technique is responsible for today’s fast paced game of new tennis players that hit the tennis ball harder than ever before.

The changes in the modern tennis forehand technique is the primary reason for the dramatic increase of power and topspin used by today’s top tennis players.

Advancement of the Modern Tennis Forehand

Much has been said and written about the evolution of tennis. The classic game has frequently been compared to the modern game.

The main change is the switch from wooden rackets to graphite rackets.

Specific to this change has been the evolution of larger head sizes as well as lighter weights.

Another significant change as a result of advancements in racket technology is the shift in the kind of strings being used. From natural gut, many of today’s players now use a hybrid of natural gut and polyester strings. There are even some players who use polyester strings exclusively.

While the rules of the game have not changed since the sport was institutionalized, the predominant type of court surface used on tour has definitely changed. Before the mid 1970’s, three of the four grand slam events were played on grass.

Today, two of the four are played on hard courts. This is now the predominant surface. In general, surfaces have also been slowed down, especially in the new millennium. There are only about 4 weeks of grass court tennis in a whole year and even these courts have been slowed down. Also, there are hardly any indoor events played on carpet or supreme surfaces.

Professional Players Today in the Modern Forehand

Athletes today are also emphasizing fitness and speed more than ever. Hard scrambling baseline rallies are commonly played by the top players, who all now seem to be able to go from defence to offense with just one shot. Their ability to hit clean winners from the baseline has made volleying at the net much more difficult, hence the demise of the pure serve and volley player.

The result of all these changes in the tennis landscape is the development of the modern game, which, briefly described, is an aggressive baseline game featuring all out power hitting with heavy topspin.

The Modern Tennis Forehand is the New Cornerstone of Tennis

The bread and butter shot for most players remains to be the forehand. Increasingly, though, players are now becoming equally strong, if not stronger, from the backhand. The modern forehand is one shot that has seen a number of changes compared to the classic version played during the earlier years.

modern-forehand-technique

Modern Forehand Technique: The Modern forehand today is based on a rotational element, rather than a traditional straight back linear forehand backswing of the past

The modern forehand is now the main point-ending shot for most players. This shot is a lot more powerful and has a lot more topspin than the classic forehand, which was usually flatter. Certainly, on fast surfaces, more relatively flat forehands used to be hit.

Today, a player like Rafael Nadal, who hits with the most amount of topspin on his forehand, has been able to win Wimbledon twice and make the final on three other occasions. On clay courts, there were already a lot of topspin forehands but they were a lot slower than they are today.

Bjorn Borg’s Evolution of the Modern Forehand

The technique of the modern forehand is thought to have started out with the great Swedish player Bjorn Borg. Although he still played with wooden rackets, he used a more western grip and put a lot of topspin on the ball. He met the ball with a slightly bent arm and a laid back wrist. He hit through the ball, producing power as well as topspin. And lastly, he had a longer follow-through that ended up with the racket head wrapping past the left shoulder.

Borg used natural gut strings as everyone else did during his time, but he strung his rackets with an unheard of tension of 80 lbs/in2. For him, this provided control even when he was swinging as hard as he could and generating very fast racket head speeds.

Today’s players use polyester strings which are stiffer, more durable and less elastic than natural gut. This probably simulates the playing characteristics of tightly strung natural gut, without being too easily broken. However, because the physical properties of polyester and natural gut are different, some players have discovered that stringing polyester at very low tensions (i.e. 25-35 lbs) can be equally beneficial for playing the modern game.

Implementing Different Styles of Backswings on the Modern Forehand

The truth is that whether you talk about the classic forehand or the modern forehand, each player has a different way of hitting the ball. Players who grew up on hard courts usually hit their forehands flatter than those who grew up training predominantly on clay. In the past, when grass was a more widespread surface, there was a bigger difference among the various ways that players hit their forehands. In general, what is usually designated as the classic forehand is the flat, eastern grip forehand.

Continental Forehand Grip: A classic forehand

The continental forehand is also considered classic. This stroking style makes use of the closed stance. The racket was taken straight back or only with a slight loop with body weight being loaded on the back foot.
The forward swing was fast and flat through the ball as the weight was transferred to the front foot which was used as a pivot for the stroke. At contact, the arm was either straight or only slightly bent at the elbow. The wrist was somewhat laid back. The follow through was straight forward in the direction of the ball and rarely finished over the opposite shoulder.

Tennis Stance: The modern tennis forehand is most often hit with either a open/semi-open or neutral stance. Today, the most commonly used stance is the: open stance, semi-open stance and neutral stance

Tennis Stance: The modern tennis forehand is most often hit with either a open/semi-open or neutral stance. Today, the most commonly used stance is the: open stance, semi-open stance and neutral stance

The Classic Old School Forehand

Semi-western and western grip forehands existed in the classic era, but were rare. The mechanics were generally the same as the eastern forehand, except that after the backswing, the player dropped the racket head lower than the path of the incoming ball. At contact, the player brushed up the back of the ball and through it.

The follow through was forward in the direction of the ball but more steeply upward. As a precursor to the modern forehand, the racket head could also finish over the opposite shoulder. The main difference is that the shot produced, while having topspin, wasn’t a fast shot compared to the modern forehand.

While almost all classic forehands were hit with a closed stance, today’s forehand can be hit from any stance as long as there is proper balance and weight transfer. The grip can be eastern, semi-western or western but never continental, unless the player wants to slice. The continental grip is never used to hit flat shots anymore. Most of the time, the racket is held with a variation of the semi-western or western grip.

Modern Tennis Forehand Mechanics

The take back of the modern forehand is more looped or circular in order to generate greater racket head speed. The elbow is relaxed or bent and may remain so throughout the stroke, although some players straighten out their arm at contact. The wrist is laid back. The hips and shoulders turn completely and the weight is loaded on the back foot. The forward swing sees the hips and shoulders uncoil as the racket head drops down below the level of the ball. At contact, the torso usually faces the net.

Rafael Nadal's Forehand: A world class forehand utilizing modern tennis forehand technique with a fluid backswing and an aggressive low to high swinging pattern

Rafael Nadal’s Forehand: A world class forehand utilizing modern tennis forehand technique with a fluid backswing and an aggressive low to high swinging pattern

The racket hits the ball squarely behind while going through it and lifting it up for topspin. Advancements in racket and string technology allow the ball to linger on the string bed a fraction of a second longer than before, allowing more topspin to be created by the upward motion of the racket head.

Torso Rotation in the Modern Forehand

The torso continues to rotate as the weight is transferred from back foot to front foot, frequently setting the player airborne. The follow through is long and may finish in one of four ways:

  • As a quick whip steeply upward ending over the shoulder of the hitting arm. This is called the reverse forehand and is used when on the run, to create angles or to catch up to the ball when the player is late on his or her stroke.
  • As a variation of the first follow through but with the racket finishing over the head in a lassoing motion as typically used by Rafael Nadal.
  • Over the opposite shoulder, as is usually recommended by coaches.
  • Past the opposite shoulder to the side of the body – the so-called windshield wiper follow through, which Roger Federer uses.

All in all, the modern forehand is the shot that wins the most points for most players. Aside from the recent dominance of players like Nadal and Federer, the new top player Novak Djokovic and the latest grand slam women’s champions Petra Kvitova and Li Na have been able to break through by improving their forehands. It is the shot that any competitive player must master in order to get to the top of the sport.

Head YouTek IG Speed Elite Tennis Racket

This product is discontinued and no longer available for purchase. For alternatives browse our Tennis Rackets department.

The Head YouTek IG Speed Elite tennis racket provides complete tour performance with greater manoeuvrability. The slightly wider 22 mm beam gives the racket even more power and solid feel to all strokes. The Head YouTek IG Speed Elite tennis racket weighs 285 g and features standard 27″ length. The new Speed IG range feature Innegra fibres, which are extremely thin and tough providing shock absorption and stability.

Key features

  • Colours: Black/White
  • Weight: 285 g (10.1 oz)
  • Beam: 22 mm
  • Head Size: 645 cm2 (100 sq. inch)
  • Balance: 330 mm (1/2” Head Light)
  • Length: 685 mm (27 in.)
  • String Pattern: 16 x 19
  • Swingstyle: L1
  • Prestrung with Head Synthetic Gut
  • Head cover not included

Technology

d3o Technology

d3o is an innovative material with abnormal behaviour characteristics. Integrated in the lay-up and located in the shaft of the racket, d3o provides new possibilities for tennis and squash players. The d3o technology senses your needs during different strokes. On high-speed impacts (aggressive shots), the molecules lock together within nanoseconds and enhance the stiffness of the frame to produce maximum power. On slow-speed impacts (slice or drop shots), the molecules absorb the impact and thus provide a softer touch. The d3o technology has been designed to make passing shots even harder and drop shots more precise.

Innegra Technology

Innegra is the world’s lightest high performance fibre, which combined with Head’s advanced carbon composite technology offers an ultra tough hybrid composite. The Innegra hybrid composite structure is used to ensure maximum shock absorption and improved stability. This novel technology reduces vibrations on ball impact by up to 17%, and thus provides unique control and precision. Additionally, the ultra tough Innegra fibre extends the performance of your racket and ensures that it will remain in the perfect condition for longer.

Teflon Technology

HEAD grommets with Teflon® polymer have been developed to reduce friction that occurs between the grommet and the string providing some degree of resistance during ball impact and contributing to energy loss. The Teflon® friction reducing polymer creates a self-lubricating effect in the base material that enables the strings to slide through the grommets with nearly no friction. A low-friction contact surface ensures that the strings can move without resistance and maintain their energy during ball impact, which results in much less energy loss and much more power. The Teflon® friction reducing polymer in the grommet system offers more even and consistent tension during the stringing process. The HEAD grommet system takes this friction away allowing a more true tension and a bigger sweetspot!

Head YouTek IG Speed MP 300

By Bruce Levine and Richard Pagliaro

HEADIGSpeed300MP2

Price: $225
Head Size: 100 square inches
Length: 27 inches
Weight: 10.6 oz.
Balance: 1 point headlight
Ideal Swing: Long
String Pattern: 16 mains/19 crosses
Beam Width: 20 mm
NTRP: 3.5-5.0

How It Tested: The ball came off the strings with such crisp precision that it felt like the frame had its own internal GPS system. The IG Speed MP 300 is a full 15 grams lighter than the patriarch of the IG Speed family, the IG Speed MP 18 x 20, and provides more power. The racquet was responsive to topspin, slice and flat shots and forgiving on off-center hits. Its light weight was helpful in elevating the racquet quickly on overheads.
 
Likes: This is a smooth frame offering both comfort and stability. Innegra, which Head touts as “the world’s lightest high-performance fiber in the industry today,” is integrated into the frame for shock absorption and improved stability. The brand’s d3o technology is designed to adapt to a variety of shots, offering stiffness or softer touch depending on the impact of the ball off the string bed. It’s a well-balanced stick that testers agreed was more maneuverable than the YouTek IG Speed Elite (which offers a wider 22-millimeter beam), the YouTek IG Speed MP 18 x 20 (Novak Djokovic’s racquet) or the YouTek IG Speed MP 16 x 19.
 
Dislikes: Some testers expressed concern over creating pace off of slower balls. This was apparent in players moving forward for low, slice shots. The racquet lacks a bit of heft when tested against heavier frames, though that’s not what it is designed for—for those seeking heavier options, the IG Speed Series offers the MP 18 x 20 and 16 x 19 frames, which weigh 11.1 oz., unstrung.

Bottom Line: This all-court stick is as smoothly satisfying as a sports car capable of cornering a hairpin turn with comfort and control. You can whip the racquet through the contact zone quickly and comfortably, and it performs admirably from anywhere on the court. It is ideally suited for a 3.5 to 4.5-level player, though an older 5.0 player with a longer, fluid swing would likely benefit from its comfort and maneuverability. Several testers reported this was the most responsive racquet in the YouTek IG Speed family.



TENNIS racquet advisor Bruce Levine is a former touring pro who has coached on both the men’s and women’s tours. Bruce is the general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J., has worked as a full-time teaching pro for 30 years and lectures nationally on racquets and equipment.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review
HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP

My good friend, tennis player and racquet reviewer for the Swedish Tennis Magazine, Henrik Wallensten, managed to get a hold of the new Radical MP for a few days and here is his HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP racquet review. Thanks Henrik for another brilliant contribution.

Before we delve deeper into the HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP racquet review, let’s delve back into some HEAD history…

Back in 1993, the hard-hitting American André Agassi was one of the biggest stars in the game. He had previously been using a Prince Oversize-frame (The famous Prince Original Graphite with a cross-bar stabilizer) and then a Donnay oversize. When Austrian based company HEAD started the work on a new frame for the hot American, they were looking at Andre’s previous frames. Out of the baking-ovens in the factory at Wuhrkopfweg 1 in Kennelbach came an oversize-frame with a stiff feel, magic power, and great spin potential. André took some time to find the right groove with his new frame, but after a while, Andre and his Radical racquet was a match made in heaven.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review – A Radical history lesson

Andre continued to use the Head Radical through his entire career and he was the big poster-boy of Head. Since the first Radical tour (or the Trisys as it was called in the US) we have seen a bunch of different versions of the Radical with technologies like Intellifibres, Microgel, Liquidmetal, Flexpoint and so on, but since a couple of years, the famous oversize version of Radical is no more. The last oversize was the Innegra (IG) Radical.

After the IG Radical, the series changed direction again. Going from a soft flex with good feel, Radical once again was heading for the stiffer feel with the new Graphene-rackets. The new, stiffer Radicals were very popular among the juniors and has been in the last models, but among the purists, the somewhat stiff feel has not exactly been the flavor of the month. But my feeling about this HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP racquet review, is that it might change.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review – Specs and Tech

Maybe things will change now though, in the year of 2019, when Head launches the new Graphene 360 Radical. The 360 Radical has, as the name points out, the new Graphene 360 technology. What is the new technology? Well, it´s enforced parts in the frame with extra graphene materials. HEAD have placed it in the shaft and in the head at 9, 12 and 3 (clockwise). When I have tested the 360-tech in Extreme and Instinct rackets, I have felt a more muted, well-dampened feel so it was interesting to see how 360 performed in the Radical.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review – Specs:

WEIGHT (UNSTRUNG): 295 g / 10.4 oz
STRING PATTERN: 16/19
HEAD SIZE:630 cm² / 98 in²
BALANCE: 320 mm / 1 in HL
LENGTH: 685 mm / 27.0 in
BEAM: 20/23/21 mm

HEAD in Sweden was so kind to let me borrow the new Radical over the Easter-holiday for an equipment update in the Swedish Tennis Magazine (where I write travel and equipment articles) and also the chance to write an early mini-review here at Jonas’ magnificent site tennisnerd.net. The frame I got was the Graphene 360 MP in grip 3. As soon as I got the frame, I noticed a major difference: the grip-shape! Radical have since the birth always had the more rectangular shaped grip (first TK57 and later TK82) but now it will have the rounder TK82S that first was launched in the Youtek Speed and now is used in Extreme, Instinct, Speed, MXG and Radical-series. I would not be surprised if the Prestige when it gets the 360 update also will have the TK82S pallets.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review – Performance

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review

Normally, I always cut out the pre-strung factory strings when I get a frame to test, but the Radical I only had a couple of days, so I was testing it with the factory string. A black co-poly strung at an estimated 52 to 54 pounds. First test was on indoor hard with the Dunlop Australian Open ball and second test was outdoor on the Swedish clay courts (they are more like gravel-courts then clay here) with the magnificent RS Tour edition.

The design of the new Radical is nice and not so messy like the last versions. It sports clean lines and gives a premium look. It now feels like HEAD has a good strategy with all their designs. Out on court, it was interesting to see how the frame performed. First strokes from the baseline were easy and precise. Straight away you notice that the feel of this version is much more muted than previous versions. There are no vibrations at all finding its way down to your hand and arm. It´s also very noticeable that this is a very polarized frame. There is a lot of weight in the tip and bottom of this racket. When the pace is increased, you will feel that it is a solid and stable frame. It offers good control and is intended for players with a flat, powerful game. On serves, it creates a big ball and the sound you get from the frame when hitting the sweet spot is wicked.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review – Playability

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review - Performance

Volleys are precise and sharp and thanks to the light weight of the frame, it´s easy to manoeuvre on quick exchanges at net. I was playing indoor against a really good junior player with hard, heavy strokes and the 295-gram unstrung weight had no problem whatsoever to withstand the shots. My normal set-up has been a 315-gram unstrung weight with a 31.5 cm balance, but I have just recently changed my go-to racket to the new Wilson Clash Tour with a 310-gram unstrung weight and around 30,5 cm balance. The polarized setup of the Radical 360 has a big part in this. You simply don’t need to make it much heavier to get some good plow.

Next test was outdoors on clay (gravel), on a beautiful, warm Swedish spring day with 21 degrees Celsius and no wind at all. This time up against a senior player with good patience. Perfect for a test! Going from the Clash Tour with its very open string pattern to the more closed pattern of the Radical, you immediately notice that the spin in the Radical is not the focus. It is all about control and stability in this frame. Perfect for the attacking player. To get a better spin, I would try a lower tension and/or a shaped co-poly string. The tension and round poly in the demo frame were not helping the spin at all and I guess if I had some more time with this frame I could surely find a good string/tension combination that would fit my game.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review – Summary

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review - Playability

The IG Radical Pro was my go to frame back in the days, and with some more love to this racket in the form of a leather grip, a little squirt with the silicone gun into the handle and a restring with a string like Tour Bite or Hawk Rough, well, then I guess this frame could easily be a frame I would call my go to frame as well.

HEAD Graphene 360 Radical MP Racquet Review – Video

Marin Cilic – Croatia

Marin Cilic born 28 September 1988) is a Croatian professional tennis player. Over the course of his career, Čilić has won 18 ATP singles titles, including a Grand Slam title at the 2014 US Open. His career-high singles ranking is world No. 3, achieved on 28 January 2018. Cilic first came to international prominence by defeating world No. 2 Andy Murray in the fourth round of the 2009 US Open, and then reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open a few months later. He was also runner-up at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships and the 2018 Australian Open, losing to Roger Federer both times. Čilić has reached at least quarterfinal in all four major tournaments. He is known for his fast serves and powerful ground-strokes.

Čilić started to develop his career at a young age; his first steps of tennis started in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His potential was discovered by local hometown coaches who saw him play and encouraged his move to Zagreb for further training.He was soon befriended by his countryman to be Goran Ivanišević, who introduced him to coach Bob Brett. Cilic turned professional in 2005, and ultimately hired Ivanišević as his full-time coach in 2013. Čilić parted ways with Ivanišević in late July 2016,[9] after advancing to the 2016 Davis Cup semifinals.

Why is the French Open called Roland-Garros?

Every year Paris plays host to one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar, with tennis stars travelling from far and wide to compete at one of the four Grand Slams as they look to weave themselves among a rich tapestry of history. But how did it all begin? And how did the French Open venue come to be called Roland Garros? Here we take a look at the origins of the tournament…

When did the French Open begin?

Some 126 years ago, back in 1891, the ‘French Clay-Court Championships’ were born – a tournament reserved for players who were members of French clubs. The venue would alternate between the Stade Francais, the Parc de Saint-Cloud and the Racing Club de France’s Croix-Catelan grounds. In 1925, the event was opened up to players from abroad and the ‘French Open’ came into existence.

Three years later, a stadium was built to celebrate a famous Davis Cup victory by the ‘French Musketeers’ – Jacques Brugnon, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and Rene Lacoste – who beat the Americans on their own patch. To welcome the Davis Cup final in 1928, the French Lawn Tennis Federation built a new five-court complex that was suitable to host such an event and which thereafter acted as the main site for the French Open. The Stade Francais gave the Federation three hectares of land near Porte d’Auteuil to build the new stadium on one condition; that it was named after Roland Garros.

Who is Roland Garros?

Roland Georges Garros was a World War I pilot, who in 1913 became the first man to fly across the Mediterranean without stopping. Garros was also held as a prisoner for two years in 1915 before managing to escape after a long period in captivity. However, he tragically died just a few months later in an air battle in 1918, just five weeks before the Armistice and a day before his 30th birthday.

What does he have to do with tennis?

A decade after his death, the Stade Roland Garros was erected for the Davis Cup final, but the French pilot had very little, if anything, to do with the sport. Fascinatingly, Garros was thought to prefer rugby to tennis and one of his WWI comrades, Emile Lesieur, actually played a key role in assigning his name to the stadium. Lesieur was a rugby player and served alongside Garros in WWI. After the war, Lesieur chaired the Stade Francais and championed the idea that the new tennis complex should be named after Roland Georges Garros. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Dominic Thiem’s Net Worth, Salary and Endorsements

Austrian tennis star, Dominic Thiem is well-known for his explosive gameplay and huge groundstrokes. Thiem has proven himself to be a major force on clay inspite of his youth. It is said that he is expected to dominate the French Open when Rafael Nadal retires eventually.

On-court Achievements

The Austrian player has not won a Grand Slam title yet and the closest he has been was the 2018 French Open. Thiem had finished as the runner-up to eventual champion, Nadal.

Thiem has proven to the world that Rafael Nadal is not invincible on clay, having beaten him a few times. He is certainly showing signs of improvement on other surfaces too, but his clay court skills are something to be desired.

Thiem also has 11 ATP titles to his credit, most on clay, but one on grass and two on hard courts.

Dominic Thiem’s Endorsements

The 24-year old has a few sponsors backing him, but he is young and will surely gain more as his career progresses. The few brands that sponsor him are Adidas, Babolat, Bank Austria, Kia and Rolex.

In addition to that, his victories on the ATP tour have earned him almost $11 million in terms of prize money.

Foundations and Charity Work

Just like every other tennis player and sports personality, Thiem also does charity work. Along with the likes of Novak Djokovic, the Zverev brothers, Grigor Dimitrov and others, Thiem contributed to La Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco. This foundation is dedicated to saving the environment and promoting sustainable development.

Dominic-Thiem

Tommy Paul – USA

Gamestyle: Self-described “aggressive baseliner”. Compact swing on the forehand, though he generates plenty of spin due to his elite racquet speed. Excellent backhand, though he has the foot speed to run around it if desired. When playing well, he utilizes a mix of down-the-line/slice backhands to successfully move his opponent around the court. Short backswings allow him to be aggressive on the return, though he will slice when stretched. Elite athlete with tremendous movement on the court. The results he has had on clay are a testament to his court speed/footwork. Terrific improviser on the run, though he too often relies on his speed to cover for lapses in shot selection. A willing volleyer who displays quality touch around the net. Has shown newfound pop on the first serve, and has displayed a variety of kick/slice spins on the serve. Too easily loses concentration during matches. Shot selection can be appalling, particularly for someone with his speed. Must learn to embrace the Gilles Simon “grinder” mentality. t

Tommy Paul (born May 17, 1997 in Voorhees Township, New Jersey) is an American professional tennis player. Paul won the 2015 French Open boys’ singles title by defeating fellow American Taylor Fritz in the final in three sets. He also reached the boys’ singles final at the 2015 US Open, this time losing to Fritz in three sets. Paul was a quarterfinalist at the 2017 Citi Open, an ATP 500 tournament, before losing to Kei Nishikori.

Junior career

Tommy Paul has always been one of the highest ranked juniors of his class. Paul reached a career-high ITF junior rank of No. 3 on December 9, 2015.

Cited as one of North Carolina Tennis’ greatest rivalries, Paul played Will Baird a total of 14 times (Paul holding a 10–4 record) throughout their junior careers. In those matches, four took place in quarterfinal rounds, five in semifinal rounds, and two in finals. Ten of their fourteen matches ended in third sets.

Paul reached two junior Grand Slam finals in 2015, winning against Taylor Fritz at the French Open, and losing to him at the U.S. Open.

Professional

Paul turned pro in 2015. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 191 achieved on April 11, 2016. Unusually for an American, Paul has shown a preference for playing on clay, having won the Junior French Open and his first four ITF Futures singles titles on clay. He qualified for the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2015 US Open, losing to Andreas Seppi in the first round.

In March 2016, Paul cracked the Top 200 for the first time by qualifying for the Miami Masters. In April, Paul was awarded a wild card into the 2016 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships at Houston, and defeated 53rd-ranked Paolo Lorenzi in the 1st round for his first career ATP level win.

Tommy would then mainly compete on the ATP Challenger circuit and ITF circuit for the remainder of 2016 and early 2017.

In July 2017, after going through qualifying at the Atlanta Open, he defeated seventh seed and 53rd-ranked Chung Hyeon in three sets. He then went on to defeat Malek Jaziri in three sets to advance to his first ATP tour level quarterfinal. Then he was defeated by third seed Gilles Müller. Following his performance in Atlanta, Tommy was awarded a wildcard into the ATP 500 Washington Open. Paul defeated Casper Ruud to advance to the second round. He then played Lucas Pouille and achieveed the biggest win of his career, defeating the Frenchman in straight sets. In the next round, he faced Gilles Müller again, but this time came out on top in three sets to reach his first ATP 500 quarterfinal. There he faced Kei Nishikori and lost in three sets.

Paul holds a record of 16 consecutive water bottle flips, taking place during the Playford Challenger of Early 2018.

What is Groundstroke in Tennis

A groundstroke or ground stroke in tennis is a forehand or backhand shot that is executed after the ball bounces once on the court. It is usually hit from the back of the tennis court, around the baseline.

A tennis player whose strategy is to trade groundstrokes with the opponent is termed a baseliner, as opposed to volleyers who prefers to hit volleys near the net.

There are many factors that may define a good groundstroke. For example, one groundstroke may use topspin and another backspin. Both can be effective for different reasons having to do with depth, opponent’s strength or weaknesses, etc. Some characteristics of groundstrokes are:

  1. depth (how close the ball lands to the opponent’s baseline),
  2. consistency (the tendency of groundstrokes to not drop short or into an opponent’s strike range in rallies with many groundstrokes),
  3. speed (how fast it travels in the air),
  4. pace (the ball’s behavior after it bounces on the opponent’s side),
  5. trajectory and
  6. angle.

If a “good groundstroke” is to be played, it would generally have a combination of the above characteristics to produce a shot that is difficult for the opponent to return.

Generally, a groundstroke that lands deep and in the corner of the opponent’s court will make it more difficult for the opponent to return the ball. However, this is somewhat arbitrary and depends on the opponent and stage of the point being played. For example:

  • a short angled shot,
  • a moon ball (very high trajectory),
  • an off pace shot, etc.,

may prove effective against opponent A but not opponent B.