Tennis become a lot easier to play easier to win and dominate

Easier to play, Easier to win at older age compared to early


  • Total voters
    12

Phenomenal

Hall of Fame
I believe tennis became a lot easier to play not only at rec level but also at the highest level. It is easier especially in a sense that you can play longer.

The other factor that could be the reason game becoming more fast paced on all tour is strings apart from better medicine ofc. Idk about it but i think strings improved a lot more power and better control, spin at the same time made it more fast paced also imo made to win points easier since they are shorter and play longer and perform high level even after 35-40 as long as you keep your movement good enough and stay fit. Which is big reason Big3's late success especially Djokovic but thats another debate i'm not up to now.

Shortly I just think we could see many more 35+ age slam winners in future although they need to stay injury free and be in great shape. With fast paced game it might not be easy to stay fit long periods. I think they should slow down bit some tournaments and they will do think.
About Djokovic he is just at the top of all sport athletes i know(or among few) on taking care of his body and maintaining great movement. For prove(easier to win points) You will see that many of Big3's late slam runs their stats sometimes better points won%. and better in many areas etc.

Although lost his movement Nadal is no different being capable of playing at the highest level as he was 1 match away for playing 3 slam final in 2022. equals to Djokovic's age in 2023. Though all this dominate early or late also a lot related to competition, players you face.
Also hard to discuss players peak with different equipment. Djokovic's could be 2019 AO even 2023 Turin was incredible. But indoor not count as a surface:)
What i'm saying is take on Djokovic for example i really do think he also improved his game apart from being more experienced serve mostly maybe Fh, volleys he declined too but it doesn't show everytime, give Djokovic's equipment of 2011 racket he wouldn't be as successfull at this age my point is big 3 all adjusted. His returns backhand is a lot worse movement too. He actually lost power compare to 2011 but he gained due to his racket(longer) + using more friendly or just better strings. didn't watched but probably it made also easier for Agassi to be successfull in his late career due to better equipment.

As long as you take care your body i think most players can play top 10 level even after 40 years old. But thats so tough and remarkable at the same time after all the wear and tear how still being fit at 37-38...

This could open another discussion as player from this era since he has more chance to be successfull at later age great ones can/should win more slams than past players. Simply just you can perform high level in your 35+ Though i read that old generations didn't look their body as much so not forgive maybe:) Likely we will see more in 10+ slam winners range though you never know maybe a lot different players will win 4-6. Courts being similiar also helps you have similiar chance at all surfaces unless you are Med and players are more verstaile but courts are closer. Ok maybe not grass but it might be more about players just play 1-2 event whole year at grass and not used to.

I wrote long but all these maybe obvious. Poll for fun.
 
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The technological changes in racquets and strings and changes in the relative speed of the courts has undoubtedly made it far easier to win multiple tournaments on multiple surfaces.
 

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
The age thing is just sports-related in general, it has nothing specifically to do with tennis. As science comes ever more into sports it is now possible to stay healthier, stronger, faster for longer than it ever has been. You go back 15 years and the idea that there'd be a half dozen players in the top 100 in their mid-30s would be unthinkable.

Specifically related to tennis though, sure, it has definitely become easier to play and easier to dominate.

Bigger racquets, infinitely more helpful strings (and yes, those things do make it much easier to succeed when you're older) perfectly manicured grass courts, slower hardcourts, no carpet courts, different sizes of balls to use on different kinds of surfaces to try and homogenize speeds across all courts as much as possible.

The game has never required less skill, it has never been easier (comparatively) to pick up and play. That's why there is infinitely more depth on the tour than there ever has been, and why with very few exceptions the same players now go deep in practically every tournament across the entire year in a way that would be unthinkable even in the 90s.

But this has been the case for 20 years. That people are just starting to realize/acknowledge it now is hilarious.
 

urban

Legend
We also see a certain homogenisation in playing styles. In the early 90s, for instance you had big servers with a decent volley like Sampras or Becker, real serve and volleyers like Edberg, power baseliners like Agassi or Courier, elegant swash bucklers like Leconte or Forget, clever baseliners like Bruguera or Medvedev or Chang. Now they all play virtually the same baseline style. Good that we have a creative shotmaker like Alcaraz. The courts play pretty similar, maybe it was only me, but i thought, that at the Olympics the clay at RG played faster than the Wim grass. The final was almost an indoor final a la Sampras vs. Becker without the volleys.
 

nolefam_2024

Bionic Poster
We also see a certain homogenisation in playing styles. In the early 90s, for instance you had big servers with a decent volley like Sampras or Becker, real serve and volleyers like Edberg, power baseliners like Agassi or Courier, elegant swash bucklers like Leconte or Forget, clever baseliners like Bruguera or Medvedev or Chang. Now they all play virtually the same baseline style. Good that we have a creative shotmaker like Alcaraz. The courts play pretty similar, maybe it was only me, but i thought, that at the Olympics the clay at RG played faster than the Wim grass. The final was almost an indoor final a la Sampras vs. Becker without the volleys.
Alcaraz was standing at the edge on returning
Sampras Becker stood on baseline
 

GabeT

G.O.A.T.
The Big 3 remained dominant in their 30s. No one else did.

The existence of the Big 3 distorts a lot of our analysis

And even among the Big 3 not all were equally successful in their latter years. Novak stands at the top there
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
The Big 3 remained dominant in their 30s. No one else did.

The existence of the Big 3 distorts a lot of our analysis

And even among the Big 3 not all were equally successful in their latter years. Novak stands at the top there

Right. After Novak, we won't see it again for a while until players who are currently in their early/mid twenties age into that range
 

junior74

Bionic Poster
Racquet/ string technology, surface speed and homogenisation have favoured the consistent players more than the offensive ones.
 
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