A GOAT's New Style

[JohnS]

Once Federer ends his reign, there will probably be a period of no absolute dominate force in the game. But not so long, there will be another player to emerge as the potential force to be reckon with; the new candidate for the GOAT position. But what type of style of play will he possess:
- Counterpuncher?
- Aggressive Baseliner?
- All Courter?
- Serve and Volleyer?
- Crafty (Dropshots, Lobs, trickshots)?
- One dimensional (only having one of the following: Serve, Forehand, Backhand, Volleys, Passing shots, etc...)?

The type of game the former GOATs had been known for is as follows (correct me if im wrong):

Laver - Serve and Volleyer
Borg - Steady Baseliner
Llendl - Aggressive Baseliner
Sampras - Serve and Volleyer
Federer - All Courter

I believe the new potential GOAT will possess just a Huge serve and Aggressive baseline game. It seems like passing shots are becoming better, which forces players now to be tentative to come to the net. And because of this, players are volleying less and the volley aspect of the game will decline for a while, just until the GOAT after this GOAT emerges.

And what about the womens game? Personally, I feel that the womens game is all about who can hit the ball the Harder and have it stay in the court more often. BUT, I think the womens game will be changing to were they will try to come up to the net more often. Women are getting physically better, not only the men. So maybe the will have that quickness and stamina to poach more often. By no means will there be a Womans GOAT S&V. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Therefore, the next GOAT's style of play for:
Men is Pure power tennis (Huge Serve and Aggressive Baseline game)
Womens is an All Courter

So what do you all think the style of the new GOATS will be?

 

[Andres]

I think, the new dominant players are going to bee All Courters from now on: Players who are comfourtable all around the court, and can play equally good baseline, service line and the net.

From now on, the best players are going to be the most complete.

 

[larlarbd]

A Great S/V Player will come along ( with deceptive service action ) & will blow away craps like Nadal & Great Player Like FEDERER

 

[VGP]

The greatest of the game could do almost everything well. They developed a style that was based on their environment.

The "style" you're talking about pretty much began with Bill Tilden and was in place by Ellsworth Vines.

It's not new by any means.

 

[noeledmonds]

Lendl is not what I would describe as an agressive baseliner. He was remarkably defensive a lot of the time. Look at any of the contests between Lendl and Willander and they just out rally each other. I don't think Lendl was ever considered the GOAT. He was the most dominant person at the time but Borg already had won 11 slams; so Lendl was never really viewed as the GOAT.

I think the next GOAT contender will be a baseliner or allcourter. Either way their skills at the baseline will be the most important. They will also likely be a big server. I hope that a S&V might take the tennis world by storm again, but I just can't see it happening.

 

[araghava]

Lendl is not what I would describe as an agressive baseliner. He was remarkably defensive a lot of the time. Look at any of the contests between Lendl and Willander and they just out rally each other. I don't think Lendl was ever considered the GOAT. He was the most dominant person at the time but Borg already had won 11 slams; so Lendl was never really viewed as the GOAT.

I think the next GOAT contender will be a baseliner or allcourter. Either way their skills at the baseline will be the most important. They will also likely be a big server. I hope that a S&V might take the tennis world by storm again, but I just can't see it happening.

I agree with you. Lendl's natural style was to grind down players. It was only because Lendl had to face quite a few S&V'rs that he seemed to be more aggressive than he actually was. In those cases he had to hit passing shots and the point would end one way of another.

 

[The tennis guy]

A Great S/V Player will come along ( with deceptive service action ) & will blow away craps like Nadal & Great Player Like FEDERER

Unless drastic change to the game, including court speed, racquet, tennis ball, etc, serve and volleyer will not be a dominating player again.

 

[master935]

I believe that the next GOAT will be... ME, lqtm.

 

[tricky]

Well, the game has already shifted the pendulum back from extreme baseline tennis to a combination of baseline and aggressive net. The reason being, because everybody can hit angles now and unbelievable passing shots, you have to cut off those angles. Roddick's pretty much retooled his game to do this now. Roche-era Federer's doing it. Even Nadal has been experimenting with it over the past year.

The game will never go back to true serve + volley, that's more or less been a dying art since the early-mid 90s, but the top pros will accord their high topsin shots with a net game according to the surface. The next great player must have be a natural at the net, be brilliant at transition play to point construct toward a net game, and be a terrific all-around shotmaker.

Eventually the next generation (not the Murray-Gasquet generation) will all do variations of the Federer forehand(s), and create ludicrous shots. But, the next dominant player from that generation will be the guy who can do those things with the backhand. That is, have a backhand with the defensive consistency and flat pace of a 2-hander, but the angles and potential heavy topspin of a 1-hander. AND to be able to do this on the run. The average pace of said backhand would be 10-15mph higher than the current average, and it would be so lethal that said player would be virtually invincible from any baseline rally.

Such a person btw would probably beat Federer handily. That would be the next GOAT.

 

[ckthegreek]

No one can beat Federer from the back of the court. I think academies developing young talent out there will have to go back to basics and produce some old style serve and volleyers.

The future GOAT will need a serve and voley geame as good as Sampras' to ensure that enough sets go to a tie break. That's the only real chance of beating Federer consistently.

 

[The Gorilla]

Well, the game has already shifted the pendulum back from extreme baseline tennis to a combination of baseline and aggressive net. The reason being, because everybody can hit angles now and unbelievable passing shots, you have to cut off those angles. Roddick's pretty much retooled his game to do this now. Roche-era Federer's doing it. Even Nadal has been experimenting with it over the past year.

The game will never go back to true serve + volley, that's more or less been a dying art since the early-mid 90s, but the top pros will accord their high topsin shots with a net game according to the surface. The next great player must have be a natural at the net, be brilliant at transition play to point construct toward a net game, and be a terrific all-around shotmaker.

Eventually the next generation (not the Murray-Gasquet generation) will all do variations of the Federer forehand(s), and create ludicrous shots. But, the next dominant player from that generation will be the guy who can do those things with the backhand. That is, have a backhand with the defensive consistency and flat pace of a 2-hander, but the angles and potential heavy topspin of a 1-hander. AND to be able to do this on the run. The average pace of said backhand would be 10-15mph higher than the current average, and it would be so lethal that said player would be virtually invincible from any baseline rally.

Such a person btw would probably beat Federer handily. That would be the next GOAT.

You mean Ivan Lendl?

 

[kevhen]

Women will keep getting taller and serve even better. Right now women often return better than serve, but champs like Serena can win easily with big and well placed serves. They will contine to hit hard groundstrokes. The next female GOAT will be like a more athletic Lindsay Davenport.

The next male GOAT will likely be like Federer, all-court.

 

[WayneCM]

i think there will be an all courter, a big hitter from the baseline, a defensive runner, the consistant returner with nerves of steel and the big server they'll always be around in the top 10...