Federer, Sampras, Kuerten... no one: After 149 years, end of an era in tennis
For the first time since 1877, no male tennis player with a one-handed backhand reached a Grand Slam semi-final in a season. This marks the end of a long-standing tradition in professional tennis as the sport continues to evolve toward two-handed backhands.
Why it matters
It documents a significant historical shift in sports technique, signaling the decline of a classic style that defined legends like Federer and Sampras.
NEW DELHI: "I've got a 150-year streak to save," Stefanos Tsitsipas wrote in an X post on Saturday. The Greek tennis player tends to post hyperbole, veering from the philosophical to the absurd. But here, for a change, he was spot on. As he faced Ben Shelton in the fourth round of the US Open, he was indeed playing to keep one of tennis' biggest traditions alive. A tradition that started in 1877 at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club culminated in a New York evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2026.For the first time since Grand Slam tennis began in 1877 at Wimbledon, no man with a one-handed backhand will reach a major semi-final in a season.At first, the one-handed backhand was the default choice.
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