Dominic Thiem of Austria in action against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in their ATP Mexican Open tennis tournament’s quarter finals’ match in Acapulco, Mexico, 01 March 2018. EPA-EFE/JOSE MENDEZ
By Francisco Resendiz
INDIAN WELLS—Dominic Thiem switched from a two-handed backhand to a one-hander during his younger years.
The two-time Roland Garros semifinalist owns one of the most electric one-handers in the game.
Four of the world’s Top 11-ranked players—world No. 1 Roger Federer, fourth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov, Thiem and 11th-ranked Stan Wawrinka—wield one-handers.
Acapulco champion Juan Martin del Potro developed a one-handed slice after three surgeries to his left wrist. Rising young stars Denis Shapovalov and 19-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas also play one-handed backhands.
These are good days for one-handers, but Thiem, the son of tennis coaches, does not envision a one-handed revival.
“I would say not really,” Thiem said today when asked if we’re witnessing a one-handed backhand renaissance. “Now there are some young guys like Denis and Tsitsipas with a one-handed backhand. But if it’s really coming back like it once was, I don’t really think so.”
The left-handed Shapovalov has said he’s tried to model his one-hander on Thiem’s backhand and while the sixth-ranked Austrian is flattered by the thought he doesn’t see similarities.
“It’s nice. I think it looks pretty different so he did a bad job copying, I would say,” Thiem said with a chuckle. “And he’s also lefty so it’s not really comparable. We are kind of good friends and it’s nice to hear it from him.”