Tennis optimal height regressing back?

[L4S10s]

The big 3 (and most in the top 10) came in at around 6'1"-6'2"...

Then for a while there seemed to be a surge of giants with the likes of Zverev, Medvedev, and to an extent Tsitsipas and Berretini, which perhaps suggested that taller tennis players started figuring things out..

But now with the rise of Alcaraz (5'9") and Ruud (6'0")...seems like optimal height is suddenly going back to what it was before? Or will 6'4" Sinner show that the giants will continue to dominate the sport?

 

[ollinger]

Two talented players who've actually yet to make a real dent are not exactly a trend

 

[Jokervich]

Is Alcaraz really that short?

 

[Jack the Hack]

But now with the rise of Alcaraz (5'9") and Ruud (6'0")...seems like optimal height is suddenly going back to what it was before? Or will 6'4" Sinner show that the giants will continue to dominate the sport?

Alcaraz is taller than 5'9". I've stood next to him in person. He's listed as 6'0" (183 cm) on the ATP website, but he seemed to be in the 5'10-ish to 5'11-ish range to me. And he's basically the same height as Ruud, who I've also met in person and is listed at 6'0" (183 cm):

Optimal height is just that... optimal. However, not hitting that mark doesn't mean you can't be great.

I don't have any pictures of Alcaraz or Ruud standing next to Agassi, but they look like the same size to me.

As the saying goes, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

 

[Jokervich]

Alcaraz is taller than 5'9". I've stood next to him in person. He's listed as 6'0" (183 cm) on the ATP website, but he seemed to be in the 5'10-ish to 5'11-ish range to me. And he's basically the same height as Ruud, who I've also met in person and is listed at 6'0" (183 cm):

Optimal height is just that... optimal. However, not hitting that mark doesn't mean you can't be great.

I don't have any pictures of Alcaraz or Ruud standing next to Agassi, but they look like the same size to me.

As the saying goes, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

They look very similar heights. Alcaraz must be 5'11, maybe 5'11.5.

 

[Booger]

There's such a lack of overall talent, I don't think the current game is anywhere near height optimization like the stick and ball sports.

Most ATP courts are still very slow and aimed at helping defensive clay court grinders, so the only disadvantage is going to very tall players who can't move and very short players who struggle with balls out of their strike zone.

 

[toddrobert38]

this is what happens when you ditch wood racquets. It goes well for awhile, then implosion. Imagine baseball with carbon fiber bats? Pitchers heads would explode off line drives