Rafael Nadal: Champion’s Transformation on U.S. Open Hard Courts

This has been an incredible US Open, not least because it finished on the 3rd Monday for the 3rd year in a row (roof anyone?)  But the real revelation in US Open 2010 has been Rafael Nadal.  Who would have thought that Nadal would win the tournament after only dropping one set, and that dropped set was in the final against Novak Djokovic. This is the same player who for so many years has... 

The Greatest Women Hard Court Players of the Open Era.

Last week we took a look at the best male players.  Now let’s take a look at the best female players since Hard Courts became an important feature of Professional Tennis. All of the players  here are current or former world number 1 champions. Showing once again that to be the very best, you have to excel on hard courts because it’s played so often throughout the Tennis season,... 

Tennis’ Greatest Hard Court Players of the Open Era

As we are presently in the heart of the North American hard court season, it’s time to take a look at some of the greatest hard court players of the Open Era. I will take a look at the greatest male champions first, analyzing their achievements, games, and what made them great on the surface. In the next article I will focus on the great women hard court players of the Open Era. There have been... 

The Best Players Never To Win the US Open

With the US Open fast approaching, it would be interesting to take a look at some of the best players who never managed to lift the trophy at one of the toughest tournaments in the world. In the opinion of many, fans and experts alike, the US Open is probably the toughest of the Grand Slam tournaments to win.  The surface is unforgiving and the weather can be hot and humid in New York in early... 

A Look at the Best Players Never to Win Wimbledon

With Wimbledon fast approaching, it would be interesting to take a look at some of the best players who excelled at Wimbledon but never managed to lift the trophy in the last 30 years . Ivan Lendl Ivan had a very good grass court record. He made it to two finals in 1986 and 1987, plus the semifinals in 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989, and 1990.   You won’t get a much better record than that. Plus,... 

Monica Seles and Rafael Nadal: Similar Paths To the Top of Tennis

Monica Seles and Rafael Nadal have similarities not only in the way both players have risen up the rankings so dramatically in their respective generations, but also how they both approach the game of tennis and their attitude toward the sport. To recap, let’s take a look at Seles first. It’s actually been 20 years since she won her first Grand Slam Title at the French Open at the age of... 

2010 French Open Women’s Final: Francesca Schiavone’s Inspirational Triumph

Something special happened at Roland Garros yesterday, we had a first-time winner of a Grand Slam tournament from Italy and her name is Francesca Schiavone.  Francesca beat the bookies’ favourite, Sam Stosur, 6-4, 7-6 in just under two hours.  Had Sam been able to take the second set, we might have had a classic final, but what we did get was a great tactical performance from Francesca…something... 

Should the ATP Restore Masters Finals to Best of Five Sets?

I am usually a big fan of the Masters tournaments.  I’ve attended Paris Bercy twice over the last few years and have always enjoyed watching Indian Wells and Miami on TV, along with Rome, Canada, and Cincinnati.  However, since 2008, I’ve found that I’ve lost interest in the Masters tournaments and I’ve been wondering why that’s the case.  I’ve come... 

Pete Sampras: An In-Depth Look at His Game, Part Two

There can never be enough analysis of one of tennis’ most successful players, so following last week’s look at Pete Sampras’ technical game and core elements, I am now going to discuss how he did against his biggest rivals in the 1990s and early 2000s. (In case you missed it, here is the link to Part One: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/368989-pete-sampras-an-in-depth-look-at-his-game-part-1)   Sampras... 

Is Jelena Jankovic Ready To Win a Grand Slam Title?

As we know, Jelena Jankovic pulled off a great win at Indian Wells two weeks ago. She looked impressiveve in the quarterfinals, semi finals, and final against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who is the No. 2 player in the world at the moment. It got me thinking whether Jelena has gotten over her troubles of last season and is now in contention to win a Grand Slam title this year. Let’s assess... 

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