Who are your 5 favorite current players -- on each tour?

RaulRamirez

RaulRamirez

Legend
Hoping to keep this positive with no arguments.
Right now, who do you consider to be your five favorite players...for whatever reason(s) -- stated or unstated?
Keep this a judgment-free and survey-free thread.

As it strikes me right now, mine would probably be:

ATP:
Carlitos
Novak
Fonseca
Musetti?
Shelton??

WTA: (Slight edit...I forgot about Madi Keys)
Raducanu
Swiatek
Muchova
Keys
Qinwen, Andreeva or Coco?
 
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Right now:
- Fonseca : I love where his game is going. Year one on tour and he’s made 3R at every GS. Interested to see his progress.

- Mensik: this is a guy I really am interested in. He’s got a big serve. Big forehand. But he can move. He’s still figuring out his game and consistency. Young. Once he takes his game to the next level , he’ll be a top 5 player.

- learner Tien : I like watching him play. He reminds me a bit of medvedev at a younger rate in terms of he’ll make every ball and be a menace to opponents.

- Ben Shelton: I think this week in Washington shows he’s evolving his game a bit. Playing well on the run. Still needs to improve the court coverage a bit to win the big one.

- holger rune: I’m still a big fan of his talent. If it comes together, he’ll be a big player for the next few years. Big IF.

Wta:
- Amanda Animisova : lover her resilience. Top 8 player. Her talent is up there to win a slam. She will. She caught my eye earlier this year and had a feeling she can take her game to another level. She did.

- Emma radacanu: she’s finding form. That battle with sabalanka really boosted her confidence that she could play with the top 5.

- Elena rybakana: at her best, she can be #1. She moves and covers the court so well. But she can strike the ball at a pace that can beat sabalanka. She needs to regain form bc she can be a force.

- coco gauff: love her game. She hasn’t developed to her full upside offensively yet , but still has two slams. She can be #1 soon and I think will achieve it by AO2026.

- Quinwen: just a slight crush ;)
But I like her game. Very consistent overall.
 
Men:
Musetti
Dimitrov
Monfils
F. Cerundolo
Bautista Agut

Women:
Anisimova
Keys
Svitolina
Pavlyuchenkova
Boulter

I think this would be a more fun thread (and less prone to argument) if we added "five least-favorite players." OP isn't a big fan of rants, I guess, but they are a lot of fun, and OP himself certainly likes to rant about a couple of least-favorite players. Hell, I'll start my own thread about it.
 
RaulRamirez said:
Hoping to keep this positive with no arguments.
Right now, who do you consider to be your five favorite players...for whatever reason(s) -- stated or unstated?
Keep this a judgment-free and survey-free thread.

As it strikes me right now, mine would probably be:

ATP:
Carlitos
Novak
Fonseca
Musetti?
Shelton??

WTA:
Raducanu
Swiatek
Muchova
Qinwen
Andreeva or Coco?
Click to expand...
ATP:
Ruud
Tiafoe
Musetti
Shelton
Dimitrov

WTA:
Muchova
Jabeur
Rybakina
Navarro
Maria
 
WTA
Rybakina
Ostapenko
Muchova
Anisimova
Tie between Danilovic, Paolini, Badosa, Mirra, Pegula. Might give Olga the edge. Maybe.

ATP
Alcaraz
Sinner
Cobolli
Maybe Khachanov?
Tie between Meddy, Musetti, Rune, Fils, Humbert, Foki, Berrettini, Nakashima, Tien, Diallo, La Monf, and Stan.
 
Only like 2 of the male tennis players currently playing.
ATP:
Zverev
Fritz



WTA:
Anisimova
Badosa
Andreeva
Rakhimova
Rybakina
 
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I can't come up with 5 men, but have more than 5 women

Alcaraz - obvious
Dimitrov - desperation Fed replacement
Whoever Zed is playing

Muchova - fun all court game
Svitolina - first player I saw live
Krejcikova - her career cracks me up
Raducanu - aesthetically pleasing strokes
Andreescu - Entertaining aggression when healthy
Lys - Never stopped rooting after that LL run in Australia

Keys, Andreeva and Anisimova have all been fun to watch this year too.
 
ATP
1. Sinner (I like how he just gets on with things, no ridiculous time wasting, no obnoxious grunting, no theatrics, no playing up to the crowd, he's a silent ruthless assassin for the most part)

2. Alcaraz (would have him as #1 if he cut out that ridiculous ear cupping nonsense, he doesn't need to do that, his game is good enough on its own to have audiences clapping, like that his game isn't just endless grinding from the baseline, he switches things up which is refreshing to watch)

3. Wawrinka (I can watch the 2014 AO final and 2015 RG final on repeat all day long, what a beautiful 1HBH this man possesses)

4. Dimitrov (enjoy watching his game, no obnoxious grunting, unfortunately his body has caved in, retiring in each of the last 5 majors is not a good track record to have)

WTA
1. Rybakina (a shame that she has lost her way, all the off-court drama with Vukov and operating a coach carousel isn't helping, she doesn't grunt, hits a good ball, had a lethal serve, I hope she can rediscover her best form as she is needed at the top)

2. Bencic (she just comes across as likeable, nice to see her achieve good results ever since she came back to the game after becoming a mother)

3. Zheng (she's not out there to make friends, she says things as she sees it)
 
No real favourites currently and I don't have much time or inclination to watch .
I just monitor results and see highlights
so this is a list where I am happy when they win and a little sorry for them when they lose.

Sinner
Draper
Shelton

Iga
Paolini
Ons

I was pretty neutral about Sinner and was watching with interest when the news of doping broke out before US. I was pretty sure he would lose badly. Was very impressed he won. At that point I was happy that bullies like Kyrgios, pavvyg would be disappointed. Then he has been continuing it with the AO win and RG runner up and of course Wimbledon win. Amazing he is able to block out Negativities and just go about this business . I don't find him boring at all. He seems to be an introverted, well mannered person with such effortless clean strokes. I have enjoyed whatever I have seen of him
 
Men:
1 - Cerundolo
2 - Shang
3 - Lehecka
4 - Griekspoor
5 - Borges

Women:
1 - Muchova
2 - Osorio
3 - Xinyu
4 - Jovic
5 - Golubic

It's very closely matched on the women's side though - there are other players I like that narrowly missed out.
 
Although, not a survey, per se (and not a ton of participation), I thought I'd do a tally so far. I don't promise 100% accuracy, but this is very close if not precise.
35 different men and 40 different women got votes.
Of those with multiple votes:

MEN:
Alcaraz - 17; Sinner - 12; Shelton - 10
Dimitrov - 8; Djokovic and Musetti - 7; Fonseca - 6; Draper - 5
Ruud and Monfils - 4; 3 apiece for: Mensik, Tien, Shapo, Cobolli, Fritz, Paul and Wawrinka
Bublik, Rune, Tiafoe and Cerundolo - 2 apiece
....
WOMEN: (none quite hit double figures)
Muchova - 9; Rybakina and Keys - 8
Raducanu, Swiatek and Gauff - 6; Andreeva - 5; Qinwen - 4
3 apiece for: Jovic, Fernandez, Ostapenko, Fernandez, Lys and Paolini
2 apiece for: Collins, Pavlyuchenkova, Jabeur, Maria, Osorio, Bencic and Pegula
 
RaulRamirez said:
Although, not a survey, per se (and not a ton of participation), I thought I'd do a tally so far. I don't promise 100% accuracy, but this is very close if not precise.
35 different men and 40 different women got votes.
Of those with multiple votes:

MEN:
Alcaraz - 17; Sinner - 12; Shelton - 10
Dimitrov - 8; Djokovic and Musetti - 7; Fonseca - 6; Draper - 5
Ruud and Monfils - 4; 3 apiece for: Mensik, Tien, Shapo, Cobolli, Fritz, Paul and Wawrinka
Bublik, Rune, Tiafoe and Cerundolo - 2 apiece
....
WOMEN: (none quite hit double figures)
Muchova - 9; Rybakina and Keys - 8
Raducanu, Swiatek and Gauff - 6; Andreeva - 5; Qinwen - 4
3 apiece for: Jovic, Fernandez, Ostapenko, Fernandez, Lys and Paolini
2 apiece for: Collins, Pavlyuchenkova, Jabeur, Maria, Osorio, Bencic and Pegula
Click to expand...

I haven't added the numbers up, but it seems to me that many people have included both Swiatek and Sabalenka in their least-favorite lists. Thus, we can conclude that Iga is a polarizing figure with many fans but many non-fans, whereas Sabalenka is more or less universally unpopular.

About your own lists - are they just in the order in which you thought of them? You have Fonseca only third in the list but I thought he was your favorite player currently, or at any rate more so than Alcaraz.
 
helterskelter said:
I haven't added the numbers up, but it seems to me that many people have included both Swiatek and Sabalenka in their least-favorite lists. Thus, we can conclude that Iga is a polarizing figure with many fans but many non-fans, whereas Sabalenka is more or less universally unpopular.

About your own lists - are they just in the order in which you thought of them? You have Fonseca only third in the list but I thought he was your favorite player currently, or at any rate more so than Alcaraz.
Click to expand...
I really didn't want to go to least favorites on this thread, and...knock on wood...it's stayed respectful thus far.
...
My own lists were roughly in order, but I don't know who I'll root for if/when Alcaraz and Fonseca match up.
My preferential order is not that strong, and I was kind of guessing after Alcaraz, Djokovic and Fonseca. Likely, I'd root for Fons versus Novak.
Generally, I like players (although if there were a separate least favorite thread, I suppose I could find five good fits for each tour.

For all players, it's really hard to say why players become our favorite. From my earliest days as a fan, two of my favorites (along with Raul R) were Arthur Ashe and Ilie Nastase...almost polar opposites. Ashe was serve-and-volley, and also dignified, intellectual, a social activist, and Nastase was an all-court, ultra-talented entertainer who could also be a total asswipe.

I think I once started a thread exploring why players become our favorites.

Take Madi Keys as an example. I never particularly rooted for her as a player, as her style of play just didn't appeal to me all that much.
I even pulled for Iga to beat her in Australia, but I am absolutely delighted that Keys ended up taking the championship (and not just because of her finals opponent). She absolutely seems like one of the sweetest people on either tour, and her game (not just because she won?) started to appeal to me more.
 
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Right now?
Well
Sinner- calm, ice cold killer, 100% focused and most importantly is introvert- like Lendl, Wilander, Sampras or Fedex without some stupid shennanigans on the court.
Fritz- limited talent, introverted guy, may seem bland, but I appreciate his determination and rigorous training schedule and approach
Ruud- calm, humble, down to earth guy
Berrettini- italian with great slice, massive FH and serve, whose career has si far been severely hampered by injuries. Not a slam material, but baring injuries, he could have been top 5-8 player.
Cilic- not the most consistent guy on the circuit, but when he peaks, he is unbeatable. His match against Draper few weeks ago was a joy to watch

WTA
Raducanu- i do not know why, maybe cos she is hot.
Madison Keys- pretty obvious choice , seems to me that everyone likes her
Navarro love her dry sense of humour.
Svitolina - I appreciate how she does not shake hands with Russians and her initiatives to fund goodwill projects in Ukraine.
 
RaulRamirez said:
Hoping to keep this positive with no arguments.
Right now, who do you consider to be your five favorite players...for whatever reason(s) -- stated or unstated?
Keep this a judgment-free and survey-free thread.

As it strikes me right now, mine would probably be:

ATP:
Carlitos
Novak
Fonseca
Musetti?
Shelton??

WTA: (Slight edit...I forgot about Madi Keys)
Raducanu
Swiatek
Muchova
Keys
Qinwen, Andreeva or Coco?
Click to expand...
Andreeva? Never
 
ibbi said:
WTA
Rybakina
Ostapenko
Muchova
Anisimova
Tie between Danilovic, Paolini, Badosa, Mirra, Pegula. Might give Olga the edge. Maybe.

ATP
Alcaraz
Sinner
Cobolli
Maybe Khachanov?
Tie between Meddy, Musetti, Rune, Fils, Humbert, Foki, Berrettini, Nakashima, Tien, Diallo, La Monf, and Stan.
Click to expand...
Good list, but Humbert? That annoying ,insufferable, arrogant, frog eating grunter
 
RaulRamirez said:
I really didn't want to go to least favorites on this thread, and...knock on wood...it's stayed respectful thus far.
...
My own lists were roughly in order, but I don't know who I'll root for if/when Alcaraz and Fonseca match up.
My preferential order is not that strong, and I was kind of guessing after Alcaraz, Djokovic and Fonseca. Likely, I'd root for Fons versus Novak.
Generally, I like players (although if there were a separate least favorite thread, I suppose I could find five good fits for each tour.

For all players, it's really hard to say why players become our favorite. From my earliest days as a fan, two of my favorites (along with Raul R) were Arthur Ashe and Ilie Nastase...almost polar opposites. Ashe was serve-and-volley, and also dignified, intellectual, a social activist, and Nastase was an all-court, ultra-talented entertainer who could also be a total asswipe.

I think I once started a thread exploring why players become our favorites.

Take Madi Keys as an example. I never particularly rooted for her as a player, as her style of play just didn't appeal to me all that much.
I even pulled for Iga to beat her in Australia, but I am absolutely delighted that Keys ended up taking the championship (and not just because of her finals opponent). She absolutely seems like one of the sweetest people on either tour, and her game (not just because she won?) started to appeal to me more.
Click to expand...

That's why I started a separate thread in the end.
 
Gizo said:
Men:
1 - Cerundolo
2 - Shang
3 - Lehecka
4 - Griekspoor
5 - Borges

Women:
1 - Muchova
2 - Osorio
3 - Xinyu
4 - Jovic
5 - Golubic

It's very closely matched on the women's side though - there are other players I like that narrowly missed out.
Click to expand...
Agree about it being closely matched. i'm looking at other people's posts and thinking I need more like a favourite 50 in men's and women's. A lot of likeable players on tour that are great to watch at the moment. It feels like the 90s again - every order of play has a heap of matches you want to keep an eye on.
 
kangaroo1973 said:
Andreeva? Never
Click to expand...
I like Andreeva. She is clearly completely and utterly obsessed with tennis. Not in a bad way, but in a completely joyful way where she talks about spending hours watching other players matches, analysing the game and seems to be completely addicted to playing and getting better every day.

It's satisfying to see someone with her abilities get this opportunity at such a young age and rather than getting overwhelmed with it and going the Kyrgios route she is just soaking everything up like a sponge and pulling us fans in with her enthusiasm.

Also can't believe how mature she is for someone who is still a kid. I'm not sure whether she can win majors but would love to see it happen.
 
dking68 said:
ATP:

1. Sinner
2. Draper
3. Ruud
4. Tiafoe
5. Shapovalov

WTA:
1. Andreeva
2. Swiatek
3. Fernandez
4. Radacanu
5. Rybakina
Click to expand...
Andreeva might win of Canada or Cinci masters. Unfortunately i dont see her winning USO i think Swiatek or Gauff gonna win it. But if she does would be crazy
 
Subway Tennis said:
I like Andreeva. She is clearly completely and utterly obsessed with tennis. Not in a bad way, but in a completely joyful way where she talks about spending hours watching other players matches, analysing the game and seems to be completely addicted to playing and getting better every day.

It's satisfying to see someone with her abilities get this opportunity at such a young age and rather than getting overwhelmed with it and going the Kyrgios route she is just soaking everything up like a sponge and pulling us fans in with her enthusiasm.

Also can't believe how mature she is for someone who is still a kid. I'm not sure whether she can win majors but would love to see it happen.
Click to expand...
I pick her as the next multi slam, potentially double digit slam winner
 
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