The Greatest Tennis Player Ever

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Tecnifibre_Rackets

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While there have been many posts on these boards of which individual is the best ever, I have tried to create a list of which aspect from the game's best players whould make the best player ever. This is ust what I think, and is open to discussion.

Serve- Sampras
Volley- Henman
Forehand- Federer
Backhand Topspin- Kuerten
Backhand Slice- Federer
Passing Shot- Federer or Nadal
Court Speed- Coria
Return- Agaasi
Mental- Federer
Footwork- Federer
 
Serve- Sampras

Volley- Edberg/Rafter

Forehand- Federer

Backhand - Agassi

Return- Agaasi

Mental- Federer

Footwork- Federer
 
Serve first: Goran

Serve second: Becker

Volley: Cash

Forehand: Lendl

Backhand: Becker

Return: Agassi

Mental: Federer

Footwork: Laver

Natural ability: Laver

Creativity: Laver
 
Serve- Going out on a limb. Isner. ;)

Volley- McEnroe?

Forehand- Federer

Backhand - Agassi

Return- Agaasi

Mental- Chang

Footwork- Federer by a long shot.

Court Speed- Myself. No, I meant Chang. My bad. ;)
 
Backhand Slice - Rosewall, of course - no one in the current era has a great slice, it is just not used enough.

Passing Shots - Laver (no one these days has to hit passing shots much) - imagine if Laver had a modern racket and poly strings.

Mental - No one said Sampras, with the way he won Wimbledon so many times, which is the most mental of the tournaments since one bounce can determine the match. The way he would play even until the crucial point and then take a set away was amazing.
Borg also was amazingly mentally strong - could keep up almost error-free play until he wore down his opponent into a mass of quivering jello.
Laver and Federer both have the mystique that caused other players to be defeated before they step on the court. Stolle or someone talked about Harry Hopman building up Laver (and Emerson in different years) to the detriment of the other Aussie players.
I guess it depends on how you define mental strength.
 
Tecnifibre_Rackets said:
While there have been many posts on these boards of which individual is the best ever, I have tried to create a list of which aspect from the game's best players whould make the best player ever. This is ust what I think, and is open to discussion.

Serve- Sampras
Volley- Henman
Forehand- Federer
Backhand Topspin- Kuerten
Backhand Slice- Federer
Passing Shot- Federer or Nadal
Court Speed- Coria
Return- Agaasi
Mental- Federer
Footwork- Federer
Click to expand...


i think for court speed it should be davydenko
 
First serve: Goran
Second Serve: Sampras
Backhand: Gasquet
Slice BH: Federer
Forehand: Federer
Volley: Edberg
Footspeed: Nadal
Defense: Federer
Mind: Sampras
 
Babb said:
Serve- Going out on a limb. Isner. ;)

Volley- McEnroe?
Forehand- Federer

Backhand - Agassi

Return- Agaasi

Mental- Chang

Footwork- Federer by a long shot.

Court Speed- Myself. No, I meant Chang. My bad. ;)
Click to expand...


How about Edberg/McEnroe? Sounds about right.
 
I don't know if it is just me, but McEnroe never comes to mind as a great tennis player in my mind.. Infact he kinda reminds me of the really old guy on Tuesday night club tennis that dinks and donks everything around the court that you cant get and pace or rythem off and always beats you by frustrating the hell out of you..
 
1st Serve- Ivanisevic
2nd Serve- Sampras
Volley- Edberg
Forehand Topspin- Federer
Forehand Slice- Santoro
Backhand Topspin- Kuerten
Backhand Slice- Federer
Passing Shot- Agassi
Court Speed- Nadal
Return- Agassi
Mental- Sampras
Footwork/Anticipation- Federer
 
volley-Mcenroe (best hands the tennis court has ever seen
backhand slice- Kenny Rosewall-I doubt most of the posters have ever seen Muscles hit the slice-even on tape.
serve- Boris Becker-what a fluid effortless motion
court speed- Michael Chang
 
Tecnifibre_Rackets said:
While there have been many posts on these boards of which individual is the best ever, I have tried to create a list of which aspect from the game's best players whould make the best player ever.
Click to expand...

How were you able to determine that there were many posts discussing the best individual player ever, without noticing that there were about twice that amount of posts doing exactly this, as well?
 
chris_in_japan said:
I don't know if it is just me, but McEnroe never comes to mind as a great tennis player in my mind.. Infact he kinda reminds me of the really old guy on Tuesday night club tennis that dinks and donks everything around the court that you cant get and pace or rythem off and always beats you by frustrating the hell out of you..
Click to expand...

It's just you. It's always just you.

Serve: Sampras
Return: Agassi
Forehand: Federer
Backhand: Agassi
Volley/Touch: McEnroe
Footwork: Federer
 
superman1 said:
It's just you. It's always just you.

Serve: Sampras
Return: Agassi
Forehand: Federer
Backhand: Agassi
Volley/Touch: McEnroe
Footwork: Federer
Click to expand...

This is exactly right - both the quote and the selections. If I were to expand, I would perhaps add:

Court Speed: Chang
Smash: Sampras
 
Serve--Sampras

Volley--McEnroe

Forehand--Federer

Backhand--Lendl

Return--Connors

Mental--Laver

Footwork--Borg
 
i am wondering who thinks that fed is mentally the strongest player in tennis?!
let me say my few sentences:
serve-ivanišević
volley-rafter
attacking forehand-moya
defensive forehand-sampras
average forehand-federer
average backhand-agassi
attacking backhand-agassi
defenskive backhand-agassi
court speed-chang
return-agassi
mental skills-SAMPRAS

i dont know why do u people write federer:
lets look at some facts-
when did federer hit 2nd serve ace on break point?
does someone remember samprass match against corretja from uso96. and 2nd serve ace at 88 in tiebreak?
fed lost so many matches after having match points etc losing 90% of matches after tough fight against nadal nalbandian etc
i simply dont think he is even STRONG mentally and strongest-no comment
i can count at least 10 stronger players
 
Cenc said:
i am wondering who thinks that fed is mentally the strongest player in tennis?!
let me say my few sentences:
serve-ivanišević
volley-rafter
attacking forehand-moya
defensive forehand-sampras
average forehand-federer
average backhand-agassi
attacking backhand-agassi
defenskive backhand-agassi
court speed-chang
return-agassi
mental skills-SAMPRAS

i dont know why do u people write federer:
lets look at some facts-
when did federer hit 2nd serve ace on break point?
does someone remember samprass match against corretja from uso96. and 2nd serve ace at 88 in tiebreak?
fed lost so many matches after having match points etc losing 90% of matches after tough fight against nadal nalbandian etc
i simply dont think he is even STRONG mentally and strongest-no comment
i can count at least 10 stronger players
Click to expand...

Sampras had two break points on Federer's serve in the final set of their wimbledon encounter when fed was serving at 4-4. Fed saved them, or Pete lost them. The point is, you can't base your argument on one match, cause there will be a match to counter it.
 
Cenc said:
i am wondering who thinks that fed is mentally the strongest player in tennis?!
let me say my few sentences:
serve-ivanišević
volley-rafter
attacking forehand-moya
defensive forehand-sampras
average forehand-federer
average backhand-agassi
attacking backhand-agassi
defenskive backhand-agassi
court speed-chang
return-agassi
mental skills-SAMPRAS

i dont know why do u people write federer:
lets look at some facts-
when did federer hit 2nd serve ace on break point?
does someone remember samprass match against corretja from uso96. and 2nd serve ace at 88 in tiebreak?
fed lost so many matches after having match points etc losing 90% of matches after tough fight against nadal nalbandian etc
i simply dont think he is even STRONG mentally and strongest-no comment
i can count at least 10 stronger players
Click to expand...

Moya has a great forehand, but to say it is the best in any vacinity is a joke. Also to say Agassi has the best defensive backhand is another joke, the other two maybe, the best defensive backhand when he can barely hit a half decent slice, no.
 
i'm doing top 2s.

Serve - Sampras, Ivanisevic
Volley - Edberg, McEnroe
Forehand - Lendl, Federer
Backhand Topspin - Agassi, Nadal
Backhand Slice - Federer, Sampras
Passing Shot - Agassi, Hewitt
Court Speed - Chang, Blake
Return - Agassi, Connors
Mental - Chang, Nadal
Footwork - Federer, Kafelnikov
 
2 Cent said:
i'm doing top 2s.

Serve - Sampras, Ivanisevic
Volley - Edberg, McEnroe
Forehand - Lendl, Federer
Backhand Topspin - Agassi, Nadal
Backhand Slice - Federer, Sampras
Passing Shot - Agassi, Hewitt
Court Speed - Chang, Blake
Return - Agassi, Connors
Mental - Chang, Nadal
Footwork - Federer, Kafelnikov
Click to expand...
This is a pretty impressive list, but I am thinking about Chang in the mental category.

I remember seeing him serve underhanded (I think at the French Open final) because of his nerves. What I am wondering is this a case of weak mental or tough mental?
 
Cenc, average backhand for Agassi? umm, really?

I wont make a stupid assumption that you have never seen him play live (not tv, in person) because you may well have and still not been impressed. His 2 hander is more natural and pounding than anyone I have seen before or since.

I agree with on on the rest of your pics. I would put Chang in the footwork category. I have seen fast peeps who stumble. We know how important footwork is.


hoodjem, I would say tough mental and not because I want to give it to him. It was crazy, taking a risk, he had to do what he could. He probably knew he was never going to get their again, so what did he have to lose. It proved just how Lendl could come undone during that match. Lendl was a bit weaker mentally in my opinion during his career. Awesome plyer still. It took serious grit to do that, and the 4 feet inside the baseline on Lendls serve go hand in hand for Chang. Tough.
 
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