Roger’s backhand return. It used to get picked on. It used to misfire and shank and generally underperform relative to the genius of the rest of his arsenal. And now, all of a sudden, it’s a beast. The most under-rated part of Roger Federer’s game throughout his illustrious career is now the main attraction. “I am just able to step into the court much easier than I ever have,” Federer said in a post-match interview at the BNP Paribas Open last week, after defeating Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round. “I think by coming over my backhand on the return from the get-go in the point, I can then dominate points from the start.” An Infosys ATP Beyond...
Two for you, one for me. Thats’s basically the equation that dominates the landscape whenever points start with a first serve at the pinnacle of our sport. On average, the server takes two points while the returner gets one, as the world’s best dominate with power and precision using the ultimate first-strike weapon. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis from 1991 to 2016 of the Top 20 performers in first-serve return points won show that the increased power of the first serve is overcoming the improvement players are clearly making with their return games. The ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS, powered by the Infosys Information Platform, uncovered that points won returning first serves is in a slow and steady decline. Top...
Serve and volley is relevant again, and Mischa Zverev is a big reason why. Zverev shocked the tennis world at the Australian Open in January by defeating World No. 1 Andy Murray 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the Round of 16. The German served and volleyed 119 times against the Scot to single-handedly resurrect one of our sport’s most maligned strategies. The 29-year-old Zverev achieved a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 30 at the end of February, capping off one of the most inspiring comebacks from injury our sport has seen. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Zverev’s resurgence points back to the 2016 Asian Swing as the period when his game caught fire. Zverev had won...
The Top 20 players in the world average a losing record holding serve from the precarious scoreline of 0/30. The game is potentially half over, and for the majority at this elite level, their chances of holding serve have already dropped below 50 per cent. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the Top 20 from the 2016 season at 0/30, and the two nearby scorelines of 15/30 and 0/40, provide a fresh perspective of just how tough it is to hold serve once you fall behind by two points on the scoreboard. The Top 20 average holding serve 49 per cent of the time from 0/30. American John Isner leads the field, holding a mind-blowing 70 per cent...
Ever wondered just how effective a first serve is over a second serve? The answer is right around 40 per cent better on average, and surprisingly, it has changed very little in the past quarter of a century in our sport. A 26-season study of first-and-second serve-win percentages from 1991 to 2016 uncovered that time and technology have had very little influence on the performance of what is widely regarded as the most dominant shot in a match. Tennis discussions often focus on how athletes are getting faster, racquets are getting more powerful, and strings let players manipulate the ball like it’s on a Yo-Yo. These factors all seem to be true on the surface, but somehow fail to significantly...