Past the numbers
Backhand galore: Medvedev’s knuckleball in an period of fastballs
Infosys ATP Past The Numbers analyzes Medvedev’s backhand
September 24, 2024
ATP tour
Daniil Medvedev hits a better share of backhands than anybody else on the ATP Tour.
By Craig O’Shannessy
No person loves his backhand greater than Daniil Medvedev.
An ATP Past The Numbers groundstroke evaluation from Infosys from the 2024 season identifies Medvedev as the one participant within the High 20 who hits extra backhands than forehands. The dataset comes from ATP matches on Hawk-Eye courts. Medvedev is the king of the “backhand cage” technique, the place he traps opponents in a pointy backhand ad-court change, daring them to take extra dangers by attempting to flee his grasp.
It’s a damned when you do, damned when you don’t dilemma for Medvedev’s opponents. They’ve little likelihood of surviving him backhand-to-backhand, whereas hitting down the road to flee the backhand lockdown sample additionally carries elevated danger.
The six gamers within the High 20 of the PIF ATP Rankings who hit the very best share of backhands are:
1) Daniil Medvedev 53.1%
2) Alex de Minaur 49.4%
3) Taylor Fritz 49%
4) Sebastian Korda 48.9%
5) Novak Djokovic 48.9%
6) Frances Tiafoe 48.2%
What’s fascinating is that Medvedev can be the chief within the High 20 by way of placing essentially the most backhands into play. He was the one participant within the dataset to place greater than 90 % of his backhands into play.
The six gamers who used at the very least 87 % of their backhand are:
1) Daniil Medvedev 90.2%
2) Novak Djokovic 88.3%
3) Jack Draper 88%
4) Casper Ruud 87.8%
5) Alexander Zverev 87.3%
6) Alex de Minaur 87%
Medvedev hit 3,253 backhands within the knowledge set. He missed solely 319. The ATP Tour common for backhand velocity is 68 mph. Medvedev’s backhand is precisely that. He doesn’t overdo it by attempting to play by opponents, however he doesn’t simply push it in both.
Medvedev not often makes use of a slice from his backhand wing. The Tour common is 21 % backhand slice in 2024. Medvedev is at simply 9 %. He would a lot somewhat contort his physique into an unorthodox place to return the ball flat and deep, virtually at all times leaving his opponents with nothing to work with.
Medvedev hits his backhand flatter than most. The Tour common for backhand topspin is 1,775 rpm. Medvedev averages only one,496 rpm. Flatter is decrease. The Tour common for backhand peak above the online is 0.73 meters. Medvedev is at 0.69 meters. Opponents are used to a better ball with topspin. All Medvedev cares about is making his opponents uncomfortable.
Medvedev’s backhand is only a fully totally different story.
There may be completely nothing about Medvedev’s backhand that opponents search for. He throws a ridiculous quantity of backhands. It virtually comes at you flat out on the backside of your strike zone. Opponents don’t know what to do with it besides kick it again cross court docket. That’s the primary mistake. Once you attempt to assault Medvedev’s backhand, you encourage overheating. That’s the second mistake.
Medvedev is a throwback to an period of extra forehands and extra uncooked groundstroke energy. His backhand confuses and disorients. It’s a knuckleball in an period of fastballs. Because the Tour returns to out of doors hardcourts in Asia and indoor hardcourts in Europe to shut out the yr, Medvedev will probably be proper at house on his favourite floor, doing Medvedev issues that depart opponents fully bewildered.