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Indoor season Latest · The high backhand: the ball that made me switch
Roger Federer ATP · SUI

Photo: si.robi · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

retired ATP

Roger Federer

Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles, eight of them at Wimbledon, and his backhand is the most copied in recreational tennis. It ran on timing and disguise more than power, and the slice stayed so low it dared opponents to do something useful with it. He came through when the two-hander was already dominant and won everything with one hand anyway, so any coach telling a junior to switch has his whole career to argue with. He played his last match at the 2022 Laver Cup, in doubles with Nadal, who cried beside him.

Nationality
Swiss
Playing hand
Right
Playing era
1998–2022
Peak rank
#1
Titles
103
Grand Slams
20
Playing style
All-court
The one-handed backhand

A backhand that could become a slice, a flat drive or a topspin roll from the same setup, so opponents read it late