February 19, 2024, was a dark day for those who love to see a one-handed backhand in full flow on a tennis court. For the first time since the ATP rankings were introduced in 1973, not a single member of the world’s top ten possessed this aesthetically pleasing stroke in their arsenal.
Step forward Grigor Dimitrov to help keep this classic shot alive a little longer. The 33-year-old’s recent revival has returned the one-handed backhand to the top ten, showing that all is not yet lost for those who prefer not to use two hands on this side. At No10 in the rankings, he leads a group of 11 players with one-handers in the 128-player men’s singles draw. In the same-sized women’s event there are
