Past The Numbers
Backhand abundance: Medvedev’s knuckleball in an period of fastballs
Infosys ATP Past The Numbers analyses Medvedev’s backhand
September 24, 2024
ATP Tour
Daniil Medvedev hits a better proportion of backhands than anybody on the ATP Tour.
By Craig O’Shannessy
No person loves their backhand greater than Daniil Medvedev.
An Infosys ATP Past The Numbers groundstroke evaluation from the 2024 season identifies Medvedev as the one participant within the High 20 who hits extra backhands than forehands. The info set is from ATP matches on Hawk-Eye courts. Medvedev is the king of the “backhand cage” technique, the place he locks opponents right into a sharp-angle backhand ad-court change, daring them to tackle extra danger by trying to flee his clutches down the road.
It’s a damned in case you do, and damned in case you don’t predicament for Medvedev’s opponents. They’ve little likelihood of outlasting him backhand to backhand, whereas on the similar time hitting down the road to flee the backhand lockdown sample additionally comes with elevated danger.
The six gamers within the High 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings who hit the best proportion of backhands are:
1) Daniil Medvedev 53.1percent2) Alex de Minaur 49.4percent3) Taylor Fritz 49percent4) Sebastian Korda 48.9percent5) Novak Djokovic 48.9percent6) Frances Tiafoe 48.2%
What’s fascinating is that Medvedev can also be the chief within the High 20 placing essentially the most backhands within the courtroom. He was the one participant within the information set who put north of 90 per cent of his backhands in play.
The six gamers who put no less than 87 per cent of their backhands within the courtroom are:
1) Daniil Medvedev 90.2percent2) Novak Djokovic 88.3percent3) Jack Draper 88percent4) Casper Ruud 87.8percent5) Alexander Zverev 87.3percent6) Alex de Minaur 87%
Medvedev hit 3,253 backhands within the information set. He solely missed 319. The ATP Tour common for backhand velocity is 68 mph. Medvedev’s backhand is exactly that. He isn’t over-cooking this shot by attempting to play by opponents, however he’s additionally not simply pushing it in both.
Medvedev not often makes use of slice off his backhand wing. The Tour common is 21 per cent backhand slice in 2024. Medvedev is just at 9 p.c. He would a lot quite contort his physique into an unorthodox place to shovel the ball again flat and deep, nearly all the time giving his opponents nothing to work with.
Medvedev hits his backhand flatter than most. The Tour common for backhand topspin is 1,775 rpm. Medvedev averages simply 1,496 rpm. Flatter equals decrease. The Tour common for backhand peak over the online is 0.73 metres. Medvedev is at 0.69 metres. Opponents are used to a better ball with topspin. All Medvedev cares about is making his opponents uncomfortable.
Medvedev’s backhand is just a special animal.
There may be completely nothing about Medvedev’s backhand that opponents look ahead to. He places a ridiculous quantity of backhands in play. It comes at you nearly useless flat on the backside of your strike zone. Opponents don’t know what to do with it besides shovel it again cross courtroom. That’s the primary mistake. Making an attempt to assault Medvedev’s backhand encourages overhitting. That’s the second mistake.
Medvedev is a throwback in an age of extra forehands and extra uncooked groundstroke energy. His backhand confuses and disorientates. It’s a knuckleball in an period of fastballs. Because the Tour migrates again to out of doors arduous courts in Asia and indoor arduous courts in Europe to complete the yr, Medvedev can be proper at dwelling on his favorite floor doing Medvedev issues that fully confound opponents.
