In the long game of tennis, patience can be a useful trick. In the modern age, however, where the results need to be quick and efficient, that patience has somewhere evaporated. And so has the ability… or wish… to learn one of the better sublime skills: a single-handed backhand. 

When the likes of Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, and John McEnroe ruled the game, over 90 percent of the players used the stroke that combined power and beauty effortlessly. But today, that number has not just reduced but completely reversed to a mere nine percent. Now, while this change is understandable, the fact that a specific fourth-round result at the US Open has ended a 150-year streak is telling.

“At least one player with a one-handed backhand has reached a major semi-final in men’s singles every year since the inaugural edition of Wimbledon in 1877,” said prominent tennis insider Jose Morgado on X. “That streak is OVER.”

The incredibly aesthetic one-handed backhand previously dominated the sport for decades, with legends like Laver pioneering its execution. But superstars like Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors popularized the double-handed alternative during the 1970s, as the modern game actively discourages the traditional single-handed approach. But the reason isn’t ill-bred.

Considering how everyone wants better results today as quickly as possible, and a backhand requiring both strength and skill, the double-hander offers new players greater stability when they need the strength to control the racquet with one arm. On the other hand, the single-hander takes longer to build, and patience is a dying currency. But that’s not all.

Court speed in recent years has been on the slower side, with event organizers hoping for more baseline rallies rather than serve-and-volley plays. With a double-handed backhand being a more reliable defensive option compared to the one-hander, most players today use it. Also, grass courts have a higher bounce today, making a one-handed backhand a technical vulnerability. The issue was evident in the matchup between Ben Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas itself.

Shelton ends a 150-year streak while Tsitsipas shares what it means

In the round of 16, the Greek struggled to return with his one-handed backhand whenever the American went for his trademark high-paced, wide serves. Even in rallies, the one-handed backhand by Tsitsipas seemed to be sitting up nicely for Shelton, who hit sixteen forehand winners in the match. And when he was told about it, even Tsitsipas shared a neutral but emotional response.

“It’s not about whether I have an opinion on the matter. I believe it’s a fact; I’m just stating the obvious. It’s a shot that is disappearing,” Tsitsipas said in his press conference. “If you compare with the 1950s or 1960s, you see a considerable decline in the use of the one-handed backhand. I think I checked recently: in the 1950s, about 97% or 98% of players used the one-handed backhand. Today, we’re practically at 2% or 3%. The situation has completely reversed.

“Tennis will always be tennis. Whether there are players with a one-handed or two-handed backhand, it doesn’t matter. If the tour is dominated by two-handed backhand players, that’s not a problem either. I simply think it’s a classic, very traditional shot, and it would be a shame to lose a shot like that.

“Can we do something to prevent it? I suppose so. Is it the end of the world if nobody plays with a one-handed backhand? No. Tennis will continue as before.”

As of now, there are no one-handed backhand players in the Top-10 in either men’s or women’s tennis. Within the Top 50, Lorenzo Musetti and Denis Shapovalov are the only one-handers in the men’s game, whereas the duo of Diane Pary and Lilli Tagger are the only one-handed backhand players in the women’s Top 50.

In the men’s game, Musetti has been the flagbearer for the one-handed backhands in recent years, being the only player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal last year while using that shot at the French Open. The Italian had a great opportunity to keep the streak alive this year as well, as he was two sets to love up against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open quarterfinal, but had to withdraw due to injury.

With the saturation of double-handed backhands, fans also miss the unique battle between two contrasting styles.

The iconic single-handed backhand is endangered in today’s world

Change is the name of the game, but the iconic single-handed backhand has been losing its mark in tennis for some time now. Here is how it changed over the decades:

1980s: The 1980s rivalries of John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, and the contests between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, gave fans the joy of watching the attacking variation of a one-handed backhand go up against a more reliable two-handed backhand.

1990s: The technical variety was there in the 1990s as well, with the Graf-Seles and Sampras-Agassi rivalries, while also making a mark in the modern era, with Roger Federer’s backhand often a vulnerable spot for the Swiss in his battles against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and Pete Sampras used it in the men’s game. In the women’s game, there was no shortage of one-handed champions in Steffi Graf, Conchita Martinez, and Jana Novotna, among others.

However, even at the start of the 1990s, several of the top-ranked players in both the men’s and women’s game had the one-handed backhand, which has a few representatives among the top-ranked players in 2026.

2000s and now: The 2000s had already seen increased use of the double-handed backhand in the sport, but the era still saw the likes of Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Gustavo Kuerten, Justine Henin, and Amelie Mauresmo using the one-handed shot.

However, the use of the two-handed shot and the end of the 150-year-old streak show that the era of tennis is one where physical rallies are the name of the game, which in turn influences tennis schedules and player health and safety as well.