Jannik Sinner may have lost a sensational French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, but the world No 1 is still a step ahead of every other rival in tennis.
His power-packed game has seem him win three Grand Slam titles in the last 18 months and he was match point away from winning his first Roland Garros title against Alcaraz.
Now respected tennis coach and social media giant Ashley Neeves, who goes by the name of The Tennis Mentor on his social media accounts, has taken a deep dive into the venomous backhand that ensures Sinner is a threat to his rivals on both wings.
Sinner’s thumping forehand allows him to dominate his rivals and keep them on the back foot, yet any notion that feeding him balls on his backhand wing could expose a weakness can be banished.
Using footage captured courtside at Roland Garros during Sinner’s second round match against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, Neeves has uncovered the secrets behind his success.
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“What makes Jannik Sinner’s forehand the best in the world on clay?” asked Neeves.
“First he hits deeper than other players. The tour average for backhands landing in the service box is 21 per-cent.
“Yet Jannik only drops it short 17 per-cent of the time. Now that may not sound that impressive, but when combined with his speed and his spin, it’s deadly.
“His backhand averages 77 miles per hour. For perspective, that’s seven miles per hour faster than the tour average backhand.
“And what’s crazy is it’s even faster than the average forehand on tour, which is 76 miles per hour.
“What you might find most surprising is the amount of spin her generates. His backhand has 24 per-cent more rpm than the tour average. He is hitting his backhand at 2,287 rpm.
“Usually, more spin equals less speed, but Jannik manages to excel in both. For me, it comes from his ability to find his strike zone.
“Watch this point and you will see Jannik’s elite movement and anticipation allows him to contact the ball between waiste and shoulder height, even when his opponent is doing a great job of trying to avoid it.”
The Tennis Mentor went on to give tips to club players on what they can do to learn from the world No 1, with the notion that a club player cannot emulate their heroes at the top of the game banished by inspiring coaches like Neeves.
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