"Nadal, Federer, Del Potro and a big list of contenders" - Brad Gilbert, Andy Roddick, Yevgeny Kafelnikov discuss about biggest forehands of all-time
Former tennis coach Brad Gilbert and former World No. 1s Andy Roddick and Yevgeny Kafelnikov spoke out on the biggest forehands in tennis history.
A fan tagged the three along with James Blake, John Isner, and Patrick McEnroe under a social media post asking them to give their opinions on the biggest forehands in the history of the game.
Gilbert, who has worked as Agassi's coach previously, named Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro, Fernando Gonzalez, Novak Djokovic and Ivan Lendl among the players with the greatest forehands in tennis history. He also gave a shoutout to Pete Sampras' running forehand while stating that Agassi's forehand was underrated.
"Vamos-Rafa Fed Delpo Gonzo and Djoker Lendl also AA very underrated fearhand , Pete Running fearhand like the serv the fearhand has a big list of contenders on the guys side," Gilbert tweeted.
@krznaricjames92 @PatrickMcEnroe @JohnIsner @KYevgeni @andyroddick @JRBlake Vamos-Rafa Fed Delpo Gonzo and Djoker Lendl also AA very underrated fearhand , Pete Running fearhand like the serv the fearhand has a big list of contenders on the guys side
Roddick responded to Gilbert's tweet, claiming that Jim Courier should have been among the players he mentioned as he mastered a completely different way of using the forehand.
"I don’t know why Courier doesn’t get mentioned here. Mastered an entirely new way to use FH," Roddick's tweet read.
@krznaricjames92 @bgtennisnation @PatrickMcEnroe @JohnIsner @KYevgeni @JRBlake I don’t know why Courier doesn’t get mentioned here. Mastered an entirely new way to use FH
Gilbert agreed with Roddick's opinion and claimed that not mentioning Courier was an oversight on his part
"Fair point actually just oversight by me, tremendous fearhand," the 61-year-old tweeted.
@andyroddick @krznaricjames92 @PatrickMcEnroe @JohnIsner @KYevgeni @JRBlake Fair point actually just oversight by me tremendous fearhand
Runnis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov had a rather unusual choice for his best claycourt forehand of all time as he named Spain's Roberto Carretero, who won just one singles title throughout his career. He claimed that Sampras had the best forehand when it came to hard and indoor courts.
"Clay=Carretero. Hard and indoors =Sampras," Kafelnikov's tweet read.
@krznaricjames92 @bgtennisnation @PatrickMcEnroe @JohnIsner @andyroddick @JRBlake Clay=Carretero. Hard and indoors =Sampras
James Blake jokingly said that he had the best forehand before stating that Federer's was better.
"Me. Haha. Jk. Roger's was better than mine," Blake's tweet read.
@krznaricjames92 @bgtennisnation @PatrickMcEnroe @JohnIsner @KYevgeni @andyroddick Me. Haha. Jk. Roger’s was better than mine.
"I felt Andy Roddick was as good as Roger Federer at that moment" - Brad Gilbert on Wimbledon 2004 final
At the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in the final to successfully defend his title and clinch his second title at SW19.
Speaking about the match on The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, Brad Gilbert stated that Roddick was just as good as Federer in that contest. The 61-year-old said that Roddick was unlucky because a few rain delays spoiled his momentum
"I felt Roddick was as good as Federer at that moment. Two-three rain delays in that match where Roddick had the momentum and he was a little bit unlucky," Gilbert said.
Federer beat Roddick 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-4 in the 2004 Wimbledon final and beat him 6-2, 7-6, 6-4 in the following year's title clash as well. Their last meeting in the final of the grasscourt Major came in 2009, with the Swiss maestro winning 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14.