Feliciano Lopez is not happy about the way that tennis has changed since he retired.
Lopez reached a career-high ranking of world number 12 in his career and won seven ATP singles titles.
The Spaniard officially played his last match in 2023, with Lopez now the Madrid Open tournament director.
One of Lopez’s most defining features of his game was having a one-handed backhand, and he has now spoken about the lack of top players who use this shot in tennis now.
Feliciano Lopez ‘sad’ about the lack of one-handed backhands in tennis now
Lopez was asked about the lack of one-handed backhands in tennis right now in an interview with Tennis Magazin, admitting that he finds it ‘sad’ about how few players use this shot nowadays.
“It’s sad,” answered Lopez. “Almost all the pros play the same way these days. I hardly see any strategy.
“If you play with full power, you don’t have to think much. Heavy balls and courts that all play similarly make that possible.”
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Lopez continued by speaking about the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, admitting he misses the amount of competition on the ATP Tour back in the ‘old days’, as he suggested that no player will be able to reach their level for at least the next two years.
“Yes, I miss the old days. Fans need different personalities and playing styles,” added Lopez. “Carlos Alcaraz is the exception. He goes to the net and brings the unpredictable to the game.
“His rivalry with Jannik Sinner is a blessing. Apart from those two, I don’t see anyone at that level in the next two or three years.”
Who are the highest ranked players in tennis right now with one-handed backhands?
The one-handed backhand has been used to great success over the years, perhaps none other than by 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.
However, following Lorenzo Musetti’s recent injury issues, there are now no longer any players inside the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
Musetti is one of six players ranked inside the top 100 of the ATP rankings, which also includes Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas, both of whom are some way off their career-high rankings.
| Top 100 ATP players with one-handed backhands | Top 100 WTA players with one-handed backhands |
| Lorenzo Musetti (No.11) | Tatjana Maria (No.52) |
| Denis Shapovalov (No.37) | Viktorija Golubic (No.82) |
| Daniel Altmaier (No.65) | Lilli Tagger (No.92) |
| Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (No.80) | Diane Parry (No.94) |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas (No.82) | – |
| Aleksandar Kovacevic (No.94) | – |
There are even fewer players with one-handed backhands in the top 100 of the WTA Tour, and none of those are currently inside the top 50.
However, 18-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger has been predicted to win Grand Slams in the future, in a big boost for Lopez’s call for more one-handed backhands in tennis.
