How does one define tennis talent? It's helpful to analyze what constitutes tennis talent. Here are some things to consider:
1. Mobility- Does a player move well and reach tough shots? Great players tend to have great and mobility. Not many great players have even average mobility. Also, consider the ability of a player to hit great shots on the run. What about footwork and the ability to always get in proper position quickly in various spots all over the court?
2. Stamina- Can a player sustain a high level of play and great mobility even after several hours of play? How about playing long matched back to back, which is recovery? That speaks to a certain resilience.
3. Reflexes- Does a player have the ability to handle shots well that are hit right at them with pace? How about the ability to quickly react and reach shots that may seem out of reach to most other players?
4. Racquet speed-Can a player generate great power and spin through high racquet speed?
5. Rallying/Ballstriking - Is a player able to hit the ball solidly and consistently over and over again, without having strokes break down? Hitting screaming winners once in a while and going on hot streaks can be wonderful for a player, but how about sustaining long rallies? How about maintaining consistency over the course of long matches and over the course of entire tournaments? Does a player have the ability to hit those great shots under pressure?
6. Balance off both wings- Does the player have the ability to attack and play well on both sides, not just one side or the other? Opponents should not be able to simply concentrate on one side of an opponent in order to neutralize strengths. A player should be able to consistently attack on both sides.
7. Touch- Does a player have the the ability to lob, drop shot, hit angles, be quickly deceptive, and change pace?
8. Serving - A player does not necessarily have to hit extremely hard serves, Consistency and placement are critical. The ability to hit a great variety of serves is very important , as is the ability to hit great first and second serves. How about the players ability to serve under pressure (break points, big points/match points)?
9. Are you a left handed or right handed? - Nadal is a special case of course, but let's face it, being a lefty is a advantage in tennis. This can be viewed as a talent, just like being born with great physical gifts. So many GREAT players, such as Laver, McEnroe, Vilas, Nadal, Navratilova, Roche, Drobny, Ivanisevic, Seles, Rios, Orantes, and Muster are lefties.
10. Mental Strength/Mental Game- This can be tough to define, but mental strength is critical for a great tennis player. Mental strength is also a talent. Like the rest of this list, it tends to be partly genetic, yet socialization/training also plays a huge role. It takes BOTH. Even the ability to work very hard can be considered a talent. It's a talent that is developed over time.
For example, Jimmy Connors had great mental strength. He was a huge fighter. Yet, it's not that simple. He also had the ability to hit the correct shot at the right time. Jack Kramer, Ken Rosewall, Rafael Nadal and Jimmy Connors are all great in terms of mental strength. Ken Rosewall instinctively knew where to position himself to hit the best possible shot. This is also related to the mental game. Many players just hit away at the ball and really have no logical plan at all. They just go for it and "hope for the best". The truly great ones do that at times as well and of course some are better than others, but they also tend to have plans B, C, and D.
When you look at all these aspects of tennis talent, I think it gives you a framework for evaluating players. It's just not as simple as well, I think player A looks more talented than player B. Well, what exactly does that mean? Player A may be more talented in certain ways than Player B and vice versa. Then, you have to make an assessment as to which player is more talented overall.