Who made it look the most easy/effortless? (all time)

Who made it look the easiest?

  • Federer

    Votes: 58 68.2%
  • Rios

    Votes: 3 3.5%
  • Mecir

    Votes: 4 4.7%
  • Karlovic

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nalbandian

    Votes: 2 2.4%
  • Safin

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Fognini

    Votes: 9 10.6%
  • McEnroe

    Votes: 3 3.5%
  • Other

    Votes: 5 5.9%

  • Total voters
    85

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
Which player looked the most effortless in action? IMO sometimes graceful and effortless are 2 different things: Dimitrov and Tsonga's playing styles are graceful, but their raw athleticism and intensity don't exactly make it look easy. Conversely, Karlovic isn't the most graceful mover but his easy power makes those massive serves look effortless.

Vote and discuss!
 

1stVolley

Professional
Federer has both grace and considerable power. McEnroe's problem is that his emotional outbursts and diving volleys took a lot of effort. In that regard, he might win the #1 spot for the most effortful player.
 

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
Honestly, I'd say either Martina or Chrissy. Vastly different styles sure, but Chrissy looked cool and controlled (different era too, I get it), and Martina.... sheesh.... Martina was ahead of her time imo.

I voted Fed, especially during his dominant phase, but I'd say Arthur Ashe (again, different era, I know). Now days, maybe Kyrios? Ridiculous talent.
 

Federev

Legend
Which player looked the most effortless in action? IMO sometimes graceful and effortless are 2 different things: Dimitrov and Tsonga's playing styles are graceful, but their raw athleticism and intensity don't exactly make it look easy. Conversely, Karlovic isn't the most graceful mover but his easy power makes those massive serves look effortless.

Vote and discuss!
I mean... I think we all know the answer, right?

jim-carrey-duh-meme.jpg
 

tonylg

Legend
Mecir, Leconte, Laver, Federer .. and from left field, Paire (didn't say they had to be an ATG).

On second thoughts, scratch Fed from the list. He is gracefully explosive, not effortless. Same goes for McEnroe.

Mecir and Paire top my list.
 

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
On second thoughts, scratch Fed from the list. He is gracefully explosive, not effortless. Same goes for McEnroe.

Mecir and Paire top my list.
This. To me at least, what makes Federer so appealing to watch is his stroke mechanics and fluid power - his strokes are like a whip cracking with the lightning racquet head speed. Mecir and Nalby, in contrast, put more emphasis on timing rather than brute-force racquet acceleration - their strokes appeared lighter and more intuitive than Fed's as a result.
Fed also makes all the micro-adjustments and quick steps with his feet that make him the most efficient mover, but Rios, for example, made even the movement look effortless.
 

tonylg

Legend
It wasn't just Mecir's strokes, it was his height and footwork too.

The perfect example of being flogged by a guy who looks like he's doing nothing (we've all been there).
 

JaoSousa

Hall of Fame
Safin on the backhand was unparalleled. Del Potro's forehand is super smooth for how much power it generates. I would say Federer overall.
 
Which player looked the most effortless in action? IMO sometimes graceful and effortless are 2 different things: Dimitrov and Tsonga's playing styles are graceful, but their raw athleticism and intensity don't exactly make it look easy. Conversely, Karlovic isn't the most graceful mover but his easy power makes those massive serves look effortless.

Vote and discuss!
Bernard Tomic.
Totally effort-less
 
D

Deleted member 768841

Guest
Fognini makes it look easy because he barely takes any steps and hits winners. Federer makes the one hander look easy, but other than that his game looks pretty... tight? I don’t know, it doesn’t look buttery smooth, but very methodical.
 

daggerman

Hall of Fame
This is a bit of an unpopular opinion, perhaps, but I actually think Borg's game appeared more effortless than McEnroe's. Sure, Borg made his bones by grinding out longer rallies from the baseline, but he made it look easy nonetheless. He got to every ball with plenty of time to do whatever he wanted with it, and he produced a heavy ball with such an easy swing.

McEnroe, by contrast, often appeared strained and stretched to his athletic limits -- even when pulling off shots with a dexterous touch only he and perhaps one or two others in tennis history possess. It's not so much that McEnroe made difficult things look easy -- they looked difficult -- it was more that he did things that were simply impossible for anyone else.
 

Fedinkum

Legend
Fognini makes it look easy because he barely takes any steps and hits winners. Federer makes the one hander look easy, but other than that his game looks pretty... tight? I don’t know, it doesn’t look buttery smooth, but very methodical.
I think Fognini’s excellent footwork and court position anticipation made him look easy. He really anchor himself off the ground when he decides to strike. His backhand down the line on the run is indeed beautiful and appears to be effortless.
 

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
I think Fognini’s excellent footwork and court position anticipation made him look easy. He really anchor himself off the ground when he decides to strike. His backhand down the line on the run is indeed beautiful and appears to be effortless.
He never appears strained or out of position, even against the most relentless ballstrikers. He anticipates better than almost anyone in the game.
 

mental midget

Hall of Fame
federer, rios, mcenroe. at their best they beat people with a dismissiveness that just made the opposition seem a few steps below. of course power players can do that but it's the complete racket control these three guys had that just exuded mastery, really.

mecir is an interesting call but he did a lot of running, for however fluid his game certainly was.
 
Federer among the greats and guys that actually try. McEnroe another. Fognini has an ease about him too. A lot of guys with one handers appear more effortless.
 

The Guru

Legend
If effortless means without effort then I gotta go with the infamous King Kyrgios. No one puts in less effort than him.
giphy.gif
 

skaj

Legend
Funny how there is no mention of Evonne Goolagong.

Also Okker, Mandlikova, Kucera, Hingis, Su-Wei.
 

Hitman

Bionic Poster
Well no one's perfect, not even the King of Swing.

But really, he made tennis look like a video game at times. Just perfect execution of a gameplan eveyone know it's coming but can't do anything about it. Even Fed in some of his best matches, played a lot of long rallies, Pete just cut them short.


Pete will always be the man. It was a pleasure to watch this guy at his peak.
 
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