Over half a decade has passed since the last time a player with a one-handed backhand hoisted a men’s Grand Slam singles title.
Dominic Thiem was the last star on the ATP Tour to manage the feat, doing so at the US Open in 2020, where he came back from two sets down against Alexander Zverev in the final to triumph.
In the years that followed the Austrian’s victory, Stefanos Tsitsipas has come close, with the Greek making finals at Roland Garros in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2023.
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After his most recent triumph at the Dubai Tennis Championships, former world number one Daniil Medvedev was asked if it’s possible for a one-hander to win a Grand Slam in this era.
Daniil Medvedev discusses the state of the one-handed backhand
The Russian responded: “I think everything is possible. If you make someone play with a one-handed backhand when he’s young, I would put it more at a disadvantage than an advantage.
“But then you have unique players like Roger was, or like Carlos and Jannik are in their way, without the one-handed backhand.
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“It is possible. You never know. There is going to be one guy comes in and smashes the one-handed backhand all the time.
“For example, I felt like Dominic Thiem, when he was not playing his best, you could target the backhand, wait for some errors, some slices.
“When he was playing at his best, I felt like his backhand was better than his forehand, and his forehand is pretty good.
“Everything is possible. But in general, I think in today’s game it’s more of a disadvantage.”
The best player with a one-handed backhand on the tour right now
For a while, Tsitsipas, who reached a career-high of world number three, was the best one-hander on the tour.
Now, however, that title belongs to Lorenzo Musetti, who has enjoyed big improvements over the past few years.
Musetti is the highest-ranked player on the ATP Tour with a one-handed backhand, currently placed fifth in the world.
The Italian, like Tsitsipas, has also come close to winning a Grand Slam, having made the semifinals at two majors.
He reached the final four at the 2024 Wimbledon championships, where he fell to Novak Djokovic, and at Roland Garros 2025, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz via a walkover.
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