The top 20 in February 2004

Rhino

Legend
I thought this was funny:

1. Roger Federer
2. Juan Carlos Ferrero
3. Andy Roddick
4. Guillermo Coria
5. Andre Agassi
6. Rainer Schuettler
7. Carlos Moya
8. David Nalbandian
9. Mark Philippoussis
10. Paradorn Sricaphan
11. Tim Henman
12. Seb Grosjean
13. Lleyton Hewitt
14. Nic Massu
15. Sjeng Shalken
16. Jiri Novak
17. Gustavo Kuerten
18. Martin Verkerk
19. Tommy Robredo
20. Agustin Calleri

In fact the 2nd highest still active player I could find was Feli Lopez at number 33!
 
I thought this was funny:

1. Roger Federer
2. Juan Carlos Ferrero
3. Andy Roddick
4. Guillermo Coria
5. Andre Agassi
6. Rainer Schuettler
7. Carlos Moya
8. David Nalbandian
9. Mark Philippoussis
10. Paradorn Sricaphan
11. Tim Henman
12. Seb Grosjean
13. Lleyton Hewitt
14. Nic Massu
15. Sjeng Shalken
16. Jiri Novak
17. Gustavo Kuerten
18. Martin Verkerk
19. Tommy Robredo
20. Agustin Calleri

In fact the 2nd highest still active player I could find was Feli Lopez at number 33!

Tommy Robredo is still active.
 
Agreed, that list is fairly stacked with decent players... some of them Hall of Famers.

Yes, everyone in the top 9 then was at least a slam finalist (although Coria had to wait until RG). But if you look at todays top 10 you have guys like Zverev, Dimitrov, Thiem, Goffin, Sock, Carreno Busta. All good players but those six guys have zero slam finals between them!
 
Yes, everyone in the top 9 then was at least a slam finalist (although Coria had to wait until RG). But if you look at todays top 10 you have guys like Zverev, Dimitrov, Thiem, Goffin, Sock, Carreno Busta. All good players but those six guys have zero slam finals between them!
The fact that he’s a top 10 player is proof that this era is the weakest yet.
 
Another interesting thing is the age difference.

The top 10 on Monday will look like this (age in brackets):

1. Roger Federer (36.5)
2. Rafa Nadal (31.7)
3. Marin Cilic (29.3)
4. Grigor Dimitrov (26.7)
5. Sasha Zverev (20.8)
6. Dom Thiem (24.4)
7. David Goffin (27.1)
8. Jack Sock (25.3)
9. JM Del Potro (29.3)
10. Sam Querrey (30.3) or Kevin Anderson (31.7)

(#10 is a guess because Carreno Busta lost in Buenos Aires and I guess Querrey, Anderson, or Nishikori wins in New York).

So the average age will be 28+

The average age in Feb 2004 was 24.8
 
Yep, the guy has serious longevity going on. Debuted in 1998, the only other guy in at least the top 200 who played their first main tour match in the same year, was Feli Lopez.
 
Another interesting thing is the age difference.

The top 10 on Monday will look like this (age in brackets):

1. Roger Federer (36.5)
2. Rafa Nadal (31.7)
3. Marin Cilic (29.3)
4. Grigor Dimitrov (26.7)
5. Sasha Zverev (20.8)
6. Dom Thiem (24.4)
7. David Goffin (27.1)
8. Jack Sock (25.3)
9. JM Del Potro (29.3)
10. Sam Querrey (30.3) or Kevin Anderson (31.7)

(#10 is a guess because Carreno Busta lost in Buenos Aires and I guess Querrey, Anderson, or Nishikori wins in New York).

So the average age will be 28+

The average age in Feb 2004 was 24.8

Times change. Older doesn’t mean you can’t play anymore.
 
Just looking at that list of top 15 back in 2004:
Federer, Ferrero, Roddick, Coria, Agassi, Moya, Nalbandian, Philippoussis, Henman, Grosjean, Hewitt (and Kuerten just outside)...quite impressive if you ask me.
Compare that to now, or even the last 3 years....makes me cringe!

NB: Some serious clay-courters back then too!
 
I thought this was funny:

1. Roger Federer
2. Juan Carlos Ferrero
3. Andy Roddick
4. Guillermo Coria
5. Andre Agassi
6. Rainer Schuettler
7. Carlos Moya
8. David Nalbandian
9. Mark Philippoussis
10. Paradorn Sricaphan
11. Tim Henman
12. Seb Grosjean
13. Lleyton Hewitt
14. Nic Massu
15. Sjeng Shalken
16. Jiri Novak
17. Gustavo Kuerten
18. Martin Verkerk
19. Tommy Robredo
20. Agustin Calleri

In fact the 2nd highest still active player I could find was Feli Lopez at number 33!

But but but i thought nadal and djokovic were federers main rival/era. Ahhhh bamos brigrade in meltdown ahhhh
 
What's amazing is how many of those players are now coaches or mentors to other players... they are literally from a different generation of tennis. Incredible.
 
Man, that was such a solid top 10. Shame it went south for a lot of them after that season.

Gotta find that 2004 AO Safin-Agassi QF to re-watch. They were hitting the fuzz out of the ball.
 
Man, that was such a solid top 10. Shame it went south for a lot of them after that season.

Gotta find that 2004 AO Safin-Agassi QF to re-watch. They were hitting the fuzz out of the ball.
stupid ball striking for 3 sets, fizzled out a bit after that.
 
stupid ball striking for 3 sets, fizzled out a bit after that.

Well hard to keep up that level of hitting, I remember the average groundstroke speed being something ridiculous. What a great tourney on the whole 2004 AO was, so much depth back then.
 
Man, that was such a solid top 10. Shame it went south for a lot of them after that season.

Gotta find that 2004 AO Safin-Agassi QF to re-watch. They were hitting the fuzz out of the ball.
Ferrero, Coria, Schuettler, Moya, Phillippoussis, Srichapan were the ones completely finished after 2004 :(
 
Good job, Robredo.
Goatredoo_O
Roger-Federer_-Tommy-Robredo.jpg
 
Ferrero, Coria, Schuettler, Moya, Phillippoussis, Srichapan were the ones completely finished after 2004 :(

Coria was still relevant in 2005. He reached the finals of Monte Carlo and Rome, losing to Nasal. Also close to reaching the US Open semis.

And while Ferrero was never an elite player again, he still has his moments, wouldn't say completely finished.
 
Man looking at that top 20 compared to now...and realizing that a two slam winner in Safin wasn’t even on the list.

People called that part of a weak era. Can anyone find an overall better top 20 in the last 15 years? Maybe ‘05 because it’s many of the same guys but it adds Safin and Nadal? Still part of the weak era though. Trolls.
 
Fed gets the prize for crazy longevity. No doubt.

TT went into steep decline/weak era mode way before he did. Now he's back to number 1 . . . and we still stink. :D
 
Man, that was such a solid top 10. Shame it went south for a lot of them after that season.

Gotta find that 2004 AO Safin-Agassi QF to re-watch. They were hitting the fuzz out of the ball.

SF, not QF

its there on youtube.

 
I get it. Dude is old. Tour is sick, weak, injured and miserable.
Tour was sick, weak and injured when Murray was No. 1 too.

Broady, Lu, Millman, Kyrgios, Tsonga (30+ years old), Berdych and Raonic are all world beaters yeah?
 
Ferrero, Coria, Schuettler, Moya, Phillippoussis, Srichapan were the ones completely finished after 2004 :(
IIRC Scud lost to a 14 year old boy in 2006 and that's when he decided to call it quits.
 
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Well hard to keep up that level of hitting, I remember the average groundstroke speed being something ridiculous. What a great tourney on the whole 2004 AO was, so much depth back then.
....and many on here like to claim that tennis has become more power based!
 
....and many on here like to claim that tennis has become more power based!

Well, they claim a lot of things. Hard to take much of it seriously when just this week in Rotterdam we have a 36-34 year old SF match. Fed is one thing but Seppi worked those youngsters like a pro, despite all their super evolved stroke mechanics and never before seen levels of athleticism.

The Zverev match was especially hilarious, how to beat an overhyped blonde giraffe? Hit to his FH 70% of the times. The future of tennis right there.
 
Well, they claim a lot of things. Hard to take much of it seriously when just this week in Rotterdam we have a 36-34 year old SF match. Fed is one thing but Seppi worked those youngsters like a pro, despite all their super evolved stroke mechanics and never before seen levels of athleticism.

The Zverev match was especially hilarious, how to beat an overhyped blonde giraffe? Hit to his FH 70% of the times. The future of tennis right there.
Oh I hear you. Zverev is the same age now as when Safin beat Sampras for the USO title. That Safin would make a complete mockery of even the best Zverev version....Tennis is evolving my a*rs^!
 
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