Home

Tennis

“A Dream Shot” – Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Gives Visual Lesson on How to Hit Stefanos Tsitsipas’ One-Handed Backhand Shot

Published 06/03/2021, 9:31 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Reuters

Tennis is one of the world’s most eye-appealing sports; however, playing it is not a piece of cake. While the classical one-handed backhand from Stefanos Tsitsipas may look so easy as a spectator, it is far from it when you’re the one holding the racquet. But for the ones who want to master that beautiful shot, there is some good news.

The Greek professional’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou has shared a brief visual lesson on learning the shot. After watching the video, many ardent tennis fans can undoubtedly perform Tsitsipas’s iconic play.

Watch this story: Shocking! Bianca Andreescu, Dominic Thiem, Andrey Rublev, And Others’ First-Round Exit at French Open 2021

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Patrick Mouratoglou’s step by step explanation of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ one-handed backhand shot

Calling it a “dream shot,” Patrick explained what makes the current World No.5’s backhand so special. But before that, the French coach gave a detailed insight on how Tsitispas plays it.

“Stefanos starts by setting his left foot, then, he places his right foot in front with a very strong base,” Patrick explained. “Stefanos prepares with his arm bent, and then he stretches it out, and that helps him generate extra speed.”

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

via Reuters

Furthermore, Mouratoglou added that he does this by pulling his racquet with his left arm, first to the back, then upwards, then towards his chest. Interestingly, the video has glimpses of Tsitsipas playing the backhand, giving more visual aid to master the technique.

Mouratoglou continued, “Notice that by pulling his racquet, he naturally turns his shoulders. And he can manage to do that because his dominant eye is the right one.”

Following that, he highlighted that after hitting the ball, Tsitsipas keeps his eye on the contact point, helping him remain very stable and very precise.

Lastly, Mourtoglou described how all of these helps the 2021 Monte-Carlo champion generate spin. “Here, we clearly see the role of the hand in generating spin. The racquet head, at the impact, is perpendicular to the ground, and then the racquet goes upwards to grip the ball and create spin,” he said. Let us take a look at how they do it.

The threat of Tsitsipas’s one-handed backhand

Unquestionably, the 22-year-old Greek has made a strong statement with his formidable single-handed backhand. To many, it even resembles the Swiss maestro Roger Federer‘s backhand.

via Getty

However, Tsitsipas has elevated his own game, heavily depending on the backhand. It helps him open the court at will and always keep his opponent behind the baseline.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Presently, he is contesting at the French Open 2021 and reached the third round. Tsitsipas will next face the American ace master John Isner.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Do you think Tsitsipas’ single-handed backhand can help him win a Grand Slam this year?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Purav Joshi

1,357Articles

One take at a time

Purav Joshi is a Tennis author at EssentiallySports. Having a degree in Films, Television and Media Production, he guided his passion for writing and journalism into the sport of aces and rallies. With over 2 years of experience as a copywriter, Purav has authored over 500 tennis articles.
Show More>