Top 9 biggest weapons in men’s tennis today
In tennis, all players have some choice weapons which they employ to win matches. For some like John Isner, it is a booming serve laced with spin and power that keeps them in the game. For others like Rafael Nadal, it is the forehand that is the bread and butter shot.
Most of the top players have one big weapon they resort to in order to prevail in matches. Some like Roger Federer are the privileged ones who possess two big weapons, but such players in tennis history can be counted with your fingers on one hand.
The current tennis era is one of the strongest ever in tennis history, with four all-time greats in Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, and a slew of other top players like Juan Martin del Potro, Jo Wilfried Tsonga and the like. Some people believe it’s the greatest era ever in tennis history.
As we look ahead to 2014, amidst expectations of great tennis by the current top trio in Nadal, Djokovic and Murray, let us analyze the biggest weapons in men’s tennis at the moment. These would alter the shape of many matches again this year, and further mastery over these weapons would bring greater glory and success to their wielders.
9. Juan Martin del Potro’s serve
The Juan Martin del Potro serve
It is one of the biggest serves in tennis today. Del Potro’s 6ft 6in frame gives him a big advantage to land the serve with great power and precision. His serves are consistently clocked in the 130 mph range. He played a few great matches in 2013, including his Wimbledon semifinal match against Novak Djokovic, and his serve was again a big factor in his performance. We can expect this monster to work wonders for him in 2014 too.
8. Andy Murray’s backhand
Andy Murray possesses one of the best two-handed backhands in the game, possibly the second best after Novak Djokovic. His control over the backhand allows him to manoeuvre opponents around the court, and enables him to turn rallies into lengthy exchanges, which he prefers.
Murray especially uses his backhand to get into a dominant position in a rally and finish off the opponent. This shot has played an important role in his two Grand Slam victories so far, and would continue to be a major factor in his surge ahead in 2014.
7. Jerzy Janowicz’s serve
Janowicz is one of the fastest serves in the game, both on the first and the second serve. His first serve clocks regularly between 130 mph and 140 mph, with even his second serve ranging between 115 mph to 120 mph.
He used this weapon very effectively in 2013 to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon where he lost to the eventual champion, Andy Murray in a closely fought contest. His serve was the key weapon which enabled him to do well as he regularly blew opponents off the court with its speed and accuracy. It will continue to remain a big force in the men’s game in 2014, especially on the faster courts.
6. Ivo Karlovic’s serve
The Croatian giant has a game entirely based on his serve. At 6ft 11in, he is the tallest player ever in ATP history and has the fastest recorded serve in professional tennis at 156 mph. He holds the record for the second most number of aces in a year at 1318 in the year 2007. His big serve has enabled him to win five ATP titles, along with a few memorable wins over all-time greats like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
5. John Isner’s serve
John Isner’s 6ft 10in frame allows him to produce monster serves on both his first and second serves. His serve is extremely powerful and consistent at the same time. Even his second serves kick and bounce very high on landing, making it difficult to return aggressively.
The shot has almost single-handedly enabled him to win many big matches and reach the top 10 in the ATP world rankings. He will need this serve to fire again in 2014 to go deep into big tournaments and attain some big victories.