I have never agreed with anyone on everything in discussions when there are many points being made, and this includes friends and loved ones. Well, history was made for me today...I agreed with all the points you made. Welcome to my family my friend, where you take the top spot. :) Cheers, M
It’s clear to everyone that you’re trying to prop up your idol’s 2003-2007 weak era by putting Gonzalez in the top 5. Like one-time slam finalist, top 5 forehand in history? Get out of here.
I was at the French Open quarterfinal in 2009 between Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Murray on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Some of biggest forehands I have ever seen live! From all areas of the court, hot day and the crowd loved it!
One detail about Gonzalez is that the video you showed was from this year (he is 43 years old) and he is still hitting super hard despite being retired for more than 10 years
Everything you said was perfect but i would put del potro in there also :) This is coming from die hard Novak fan . Federer had not just the best looking forhand but his whole game was so elegant , efortless and pleasure to watch . Alcaraz is bringing Fed efect to the game and popularity of tennis but as you said sinner and rune are amazing . Sinner being my favorite new gen player . Keep those videos going and especialy monday am rant . Love it !
because he couldn't overpower the competition anymore...the ball was coming back quicker and heavier and he had less time with the older fh stroke...@@loganthewolverine2030
I totally agree with this list. Based on your previous video, I was expecting Djokovic to be number 1 and had my comment of disapproval ready haha. Roger's forehand is just the most complete and versatile of all. He could hit quality shots everywhere and in any circumstances. It was hard to overcome and his opponents, by their own admission, couldn't really figure it out. Nadal had a lethal forehand but you could overpower it (many players did). Same with Djokovic.
Great video Nick and I think you got the list spot on. I think Fed does have the best forehand overall as it was powerful, highly versatile and his secret weapon was how early ge could take it which constantly rushed his opponents. His forehand is also the most immitated amongst the pros and rec players alike. But I'll finish by saying that Fed, Nadal and Djoker all have epic forehands and there is marginal differences between them. Hard to choose the list but you hot it spot on I think👍
your analysis of.Alcaratz fits what I do naturally. I am a huge fan of Roger so I play my forehand like him. But every time I want to hit more topspin, I found myself hitting more like Alcaratz. of course because I dont have Roger talent to make big top.spin as he can but it proves (sort of) your analysis of Alcaratz forehand.
I respect your opinion greatly and consider anything you advocate as professional advice. But as a fellow tennis coach and technical observer of the sport I must mention the incredible forehand of Kyle Edmund. His forehand ( in isolation) is state of the art.
The most important for having good forehand is body position to determine ball direction (lateral and horizontal), swing and body movement to determine balance between spin and power, and the last one is timing when racket hit the ball (early, on point, or late).
I'm listing, before watching yours 1. Federer for overall power, speed, placement and weaponry 2. Nadal for power and topspin 3. Djokovic for reliability and versatility 4. Del Potro, for being so massive 5. Bjorn Borg as the father of the modern topspin Special mentions to Fernando Gonzalez and Robin Söderling, who had massive topspins like Delpo, and Wilander for introducing the high arch. From the next gen, Alcaraz and Sinner are notable.
@Nick. How would you rate Ivan Lendl? Bit unorthodox forehand in modern day standards (hitting with dominant shoulder behind other shoulder etc.) But he was very effective still!
Hi Nick! I've seen lots of matches from Roger early in his career (04-06, when he had the nCode) and his forehand had a higher preparation when he had the time to set it up. He started abbreviating it late in his career, mostly around 2018 I think.
Great video as always! I still might but Del Po higher but agree Fed #1 In my opinion the reason he slightly behind Djockovich & Nadal was his return of serve.
Somewhat unrelated: I was playing a college level player recently and feeling rushed. I started taking my unit turn racket back a lot faster, like immediately, is that the best way to handle heavy pace, like the Etcheverry forehand? How to time it when the ball is flying at you at top speed? Cheers from SoCal.
hi nick i would like to see a more in depth evolution analysis of djokovic forehand. Unlike rafa or roger who had majority of their game and technique down i feel djokovics serve and forehand has evolved quite abit even from say 2012 to now. When I watch djokovic's forehand in 2008 vs 2011 vs 2015 and especially now theres some obvious differences I can point out but some I just cant put a finger on. For example, it could be just patterns/ playstyle but in 2011 i notice djokovic forehand seemed alot larger in motion and he would hit an airborne open stance much more often. Back then it looked like djokovic hit it more aggressive and marginally later compared to now or 2015 where it looks cleaner
Great vid. Surprised Sampras wasn’t on there knowing that you watched his career and were a fan. Everyone was so scared of his FH and he and Lendl gave so much space on that side daring players to go there and they still tried to avoid it. Also if you watch the Sampras Vs Federer match I think it shows Sampras had the better FH and serve.
I enjoyed your take on this. I would only add that to me, Nadal won all his Majors and Mssters 1000's mostly because of his forehand. Federer certainly had more other options, and Novak has such such unbelievable balance off both wings, no where to go, and the best return of all time. Because Nadal's success to me was so ultimately dependent on his fh, I would put him at number 1. And I loved Del Po's fh, and would actually pit him at number 3. Such brutal power and consistency, and I loved his simple technique, no pat the dog.
@@yongli4304That's because Nadal's forehand technique is so singular/special that it can't really be reproduced. I'm sure there are millions of young kids who would love to hit a forehand like Rafa. It's arguably the most iconic shot in the history of the sport. I was one of those kids. You can see his influence in players like Caspar Ruud, Nishioka, and Ben Shelton's team is trying to model his forehand off of Rafa's.
Will you add a video to the list (forehand, backhand, serve)... Best strategist in singles. I really want to up my level to 4.0 or even 4.5, and I feel my individual shots are good. I need a better game plan. ❤❤❤
Probably in no particular order: Nadal, Sampras, Del Potro, F. Gonzalez and Alcaraz. I never really saw Borg or Lendl play though. It looks quite slow compared to modern tennis. Honorable mention: Beresategui.
There is no question Nik is a high level coach and I am just a sort of 4.0 level player. That being mentioned, I don't agree to that top 5 forehands all time as Andre Agassi is not part of it. I think Agassi had by far the best forehand of his generation. And the best until his generation. There is reason to vote for Alcaraz and maybe Nadal, but not for anyone else in my eyes. Another part where I disagree is predicting Holger Rune to have a historical good forehand moving forward. He is a phenomenal player, but his forehand is still his main weakness as he cannot dominate a match with it. Ben Shelton might dominate the tour with his forehand the upcoming 10 to 15 years, not Rune. Rune has versatility, a great backand, great touch, great movement, creativity. Plus I think Rublev got skipped. He might have a top 15 forehand all time as well. Maybe Gustavo Kuerten as well. Boris Becker doesn't belong to the top forehand hitters. He didn't win a single clay court tournament for some reason. He was a serve and volley player that had been really dependent from the efficiency of his serve.
I mostly agree with this list, but I would swap Gonzalez with del Potro. Del Potro’s forehand allowed him to beat Nadal and Federer back to back to win his grand slam title. If not for injuries his career could have been like Andy Murray or even better
Instead of Gonzalez I'd probably put Delpo on the list. You could also make a video about the Top 5 worst forehand. Benoit Paire would probably be on the list
I would’ve thought Shelton would be on the honorary mention list next to Sinner. Shelton’s forehand swaps between heavy spin like Nadal, then a penetrating shot like Federer.
He's had a good season but he's a relative nobody compared with that list. It's like saying where is berrettini (though arguably he has more of a claim at this point)
These examples are fairly recent and don’t take account of changing string and racket technology. Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi , Alberto , Lleyton Hewitt and many others had great forehands.
I would replace Gonzalez with Del Potro. The shot that beat nadal and federer b2b (2 best forehands of all time) to win USO 2009 & almost doing it again in 2017!
I agree with you on the second part, i.e. Lendl played the power baseline game which today is the dominant style. BUT I attribute that to the slower courts of today rather than to Lendl as a guide. And I don't think his forehand was that special.
One of my favorite players that has an amazing forehead is Aaron Krickstein, and of course my boy Andre. Your forehead is very good also my friend. Great job on the video my friend.
I agree. I don't know why everyone says Borg used an extreme western grip. He did have a lot of topspin but almost all photos I see of his FH looks much closer to an eastern grip to me. Not even a semi-western.
Out of the next-gen players, I would also add FAA to the list. He isn’t a very consistent player, but if you’re looking at the forehand in isolation, it is a huge weapon.
It’s a bit funny that even a tennis coach now has to mention a disclaimer that it’s not a „disrespect to women“, to even talk about the best 5 men‘s forehand strikes. We live in weird times man…
Except Nadal, I think I already found most of the technical foindamentals for each player forehand you mention in this list. Each one of them uses different way of hitting. Federer if he stops sport and went to do fighting he might learn it and be one of the strongest fighter as well based on his movement technique in tennis
I'm surprised Hewitt is even among the honorary mentions and would like to know why? True, he was very consistent and could flatten out the ball, but had little natural power. His backhand was considered just as good. His strength was that he had no obvious holes, moved well, and was a fighter.
I watched Fernado Gonzales when he was 16 he came to Edmonton Canada spring 1996 for Davis Cup with Marcelo Rios, in fact I recall John McEnroe saying Rios had the best forehand on tour. I am not so sure Fernando had a top five forehand. Yes, with Federer, it was a real weapon. Mark Philippoussis, not many hit it harder than him
I’d exchange Alcaraz with Agassi. A good forehand should be able to also take balls on the rise and attack serves. Yes not that applicable to todays slower balls and courts, but imo still a measure of a good forehand.
If you remember back in the day over 11 years ago now the tennis channel did a top 100 tennis players of all time. End it was pretty epic baseless off of what’s the greatest tennis players in history thought as well and commentators. However what I disliked about the list was like put both men and women on that list. I feel like you should do a best women’s and best men’s separate because it’s just not fair to either the WTA tour or the ATP tour to lump them together. I’m really surprised you didn’t include Del Porto in my opinion he arguably has the most lethal forehand in history definitely the most powerful. My forehand is very similar to his besides the grip. And I actually prefer the OG Federer forehand over the modern one, in my opinion it was much more fluent and much more elegant he had that high loop. But he got rid of around 2007.
I'm a Federer fan, but I have to rank the forehand in the order Djokovic, Nadal, Federer. Federer wins the style points, but his is the least consistent (check out how many times he hits the frame at the some critical moments), and least powerful (give Federer a high bouncing ball at the baseline, Federer can rarely hit a winner from there, but Nadal and Djokovic hit winners from there routinely). Djokovic's forehand may not be as elegant, but is undoubtedly the most efficient. He can produce shots that are more consistent, and with as much power as Nadal/Federer, yet with less effort. This is why he is less injury prone and will last a lot longer than Nadal/Federer. His forehand is not the most lethal one, but in terms of combined quality of power, spin, consistency, and efficiency, there is no one like Djokovic in history.
My list 1. Roger 2. Sinner, djok 3. Agassi 4. Alcatraz 5. Nadal Agassi Forehand could match against federer. The only thing agassi far behind from roger is the serve. Look at the 2005 us open final match up. Agassi loss because of his lack of power compare to roger
When Alcaraz was younger and asked about his favourite player, he said Rafael. Not Roger. You read the subtitles. You didn't hear what he said. Subtitles of that video are wrong. You can watch that video again. Nice video though🙌
Cannot not have Sampras in the top 5. The guy won 14 slams with just his forehand. Probably the best running forehand of all time too... I wouldn't have put Djoker or Alcaraz in the list. (Even though Djoker is my guy)
In Federer’s later years when he was slower and footwork became slightly worse is when we’d start to see more errors. Federer’s forehand completely depends on quality footwork. Nadal can get away with sloppy footwork on his forehand because of the topspin and margin on it
@@keeganandersson4281Nah, it happened quite often during his early and mid career period too. I’ve followed him for almost 22 years and saw some ’bad’ matches (he’s human just like us). Though, it happened often when he was under pressure, he tried to change the forehand during the match instead of sticking to his trademark strokes. Roland Garros finals 2011 against Nadal the best example.
Not to have Sampras diminishes your list. It appears you prioritize the combination of body rotation and topspin as mandatory components. Sampras could hit it flat, with spin and hit it on the run better than anyone then or now.
Love your list but Nadal should probably be number 1 with Federer number 2. The head to head matchup is too lopsided in favor of Nadal. And since Nadal is not a great server it would be fair to believe that his forehand played a huge role in his domination of Federer. Otherwise no issues with your list.
It’s a crime not to have the Sampras FH on the list…many would argue it is at the top ! Lendl, Agassi, Becker, and Sinner could be argued to easily make the list ahead of Gonzales, and we still need more years to make a stronger case for Alcaraz. Thus two of your top 5 are questionable.
not all top players have good forehand. One of them actually has weak forehand. It is Richard Gasquet. In my opinion his forehand is the weakest among of top 100. Any top 100 player has a better forehand than Gasquet. If his forehand was better, he could achieve something great in his career. However, no doubt, his backhand is a lethal weapon. Everybody must agree to put his backhand into Top 10 best single backhand.
There is such a weird thing to rank, with varying criteria. Consistency? efficiency? Pace? Shape? Are top ATP players not hitting forehand winners due to inferior forehand technique or being rushed by opponents most of the time?
Style vs Fundamentals
All Strokes
👉 www.intuitivetennis.com/style-vs-fundamentals
I have never agreed with anyone on everything in discussions when there are many points being made, and this includes friends and loved ones. Well, history was made for me today...I agreed with all the points you made. Welcome to my family my friend, where you take the top spot. :)
Cheers,
M
It’s clear to everyone that you’re trying to prop up your idol’s 2003-2007 weak era by putting Gonzalez in the top 5. Like one-time slam finalist, top 5 forehand in history? Get out of here.
@@sleepyjoe8908John Isner is considered the best serve in tennis by many. He never won a grand slam. Use your brain a little when you reply.
@@germanjaime2919 lmao
@@germanjaime2919 8-7 40-15 btw
Almost spilled my coffee when you said Gulbis 😂
😂💯
Of course Gulbis-that albatross flapping backswing is the key.
I was at the French Open quarterfinal in 2009 between Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Murray on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Some of biggest forehands I have ever seen live! From all areas of the court, hot day and the crowd loved it!
💯
One detail about Gonzalez is that the video you showed was from this year (he is 43 years old) and he is still hitting super hard despite being retired for more than 10 years
🔥💪
Spot on list. Had me with the Gulbis fake out!
Warms my heart to see Gonzalez on this list
No Del Potro? Glad he was referenced, but wow. Best forehand I’ve ever seen, especially against a slow and/or short ball.
It's ridiculous that Del Potro is not in the top5. Clown list anyway
Isn't his forehand just linear power?
He lacks versatility and spin.
Everything you said was perfect but i would put del potro in there also :) This is coming from die hard Novak fan . Federer had not just the best looking forhand but his whole game was so elegant , efortless and pleasure to watch . Alcaraz is bringing Fed efect to the game and popularity of tennis but as you said sinner and rune are amazing . Sinner being my favorite new gen player . Keep those videos going and especialy monday am rant . Love it !
Had me howling at the Gulbis switcheroo
Fed's fh did change over the years. Not as much as Nadal's, but he did shorten the backswing as he got older and opponents got faster and younger.
@@chtomlinFed learned this from CTM? Who knew.
because he couldn't overpower the competition anymore...the ball was coming back quicker and heavier and he had less time with the older fh stroke...@@loganthewolverine2030
You can get younger? I need that
I totally agree with this list. Based on your previous video, I was expecting Djokovic to be number 1 and had my comment of disapproval ready haha.
Roger's forehand is just the most complete and versatile of all. He could hit quality shots everywhere and in any circumstances. It was hard to overcome and his opponents, by their own admission, couldn't really figure it out.
Nadal had a lethal forehand but you could overpower it (many players did). Same with Djokovic.
Fernando Gonzalez! El bombardero de la Reina! Best inverted forehand from the side of the backhand, look that up best of all time for sure
Im in love with Jannik Sinner's Forehand
Great video Nick and I think you got the list spot on.
I think Fed does have the best forehand overall as it was powerful, highly versatile and his secret weapon was how early ge could take it which constantly rushed his opponents.
His forehand is also the most immitated amongst the pros and rec players alike.
But I'll finish by saying that Fed, Nadal and Djoker all have epic forehands and there is marginal differences between them.
Hard to choose the list but you hot it spot on I think👍
This channel has become nothing but a fed cultist group therapy session. 8-7 40-15
I would put del potro above gonzalez due to looks and success.
But I nailed the first 4 !!!
Great list.
your analysis of.Alcaratz fits what I do naturally. I am a huge fan of Roger so I play my forehand like him. But every time I want to hit more topspin, I found myself hitting more like Alcaratz. of course because I dont have Roger talent to make big top.spin as he can but it proves (sort of) your analysis of Alcaratz forehand.
Rublev has excellent technique and really cracks that forehand I've seen him live and direct and for a skinny kid he really hit's it heavy!
I wish I had Agassi forhand.. The best forhand and forhand return I have ever seen..
Loved the ErnestS Gulbis inclusion! His left hand creates a force field that suspends the ball in the air to be crushed.
great vid! As with Jordans dunks you also have to include Feds crazy stylish FH, the mest stylish around 2006 Oz
I respect your opinion greatly and consider anything you advocate as professional advice. But as a fellow tennis coach and technical observer of the sport I must mention the incredible forehand of Kyle Edmund. His forehand ( in isolation) is state of the art.
Agassi deserves an honorary mention.
precision and instinct yes but not as powerful
Great video Nick! Always subjective but you have the reasons for your placement. Keep up the good work 😊
🙏
The most important for having good forehand is body position to determine ball direction (lateral and horizontal), swing and body movement to determine balance between spin and power, and the last one is timing when racket hit the ball (early, on point, or late).
Could you do a top 5 forehand ranking list for each decade? Maybe starting from the 50s or 60s
I’m not familiar with players pre open era 😭
I'm listing, before watching yours
1. Federer for overall power, speed, placement and weaponry
2. Nadal for power and topspin
3. Djokovic for reliability and versatility
4. Del Potro, for being so massive
5. Bjorn Borg as the father of the modern topspin
Special mentions to Fernando Gonzalez and Robin Söderling, who had massive topspins like Delpo, and Wilander for introducing the high arch.
From the next gen, Alcaraz and Sinner are notable.
I’d say Tsitsipas has had the best forehand on the tour in the last few years
2004 US Open Federer forehand was THE ultimate weapon. He didn't 'pat the dog' so much as he did nowadays.
What about Sampras? His running forehand was different level from anyone I've ever seen.
He was on the honorable mention list Nick read prior to getting into his rankings
He’s a fed cultist. Putting Gonzalez above Sampras is a feeble attempt to prop up Fed’s weak era. What a joke list.
@@farid1406 8-7 40-15
@@sleepyjoe8908 He's not. Check out his other vids where he puts Rafa and Novak above Federer as his favorites and tells people not to play like Fed
@@sleepyjoe8908 I disagree that Fed was in a weak era. Its fun to debate, but ultimately there is no way to truly judge one era to another.
the ernest gulbis joke got me lol
Great video Nick. please make a video about best player with best cosmetic and dress style
Will do
Hey Nick, are you at the vienna open?
I think i just saw you in the crowd during Medvedev vs Khachanov match 😅
I’m not
@Nick. How would you rate Ivan Lendl? Bit unorthodox forehand in modern day standards (hitting with dominant shoulder behind other shoulder etc.) But he was very effective still!
Sinner’s forehand in long rallies is insane! 🔥 He’s built like a human slinky.
💯
Hi Nick! I've seen lots of matches from Roger early in his career (04-06, when he had the nCode) and his forehand had a higher preparation when he had the time to set it up. He started abbreviating it late in his career, mostly around 2018 I think.
Great video as always! I still might but Del Po higher but agree Fed #1 In my opinion the reason he slightly behind Djockovich & Nadal was his return of serve.
Somewhat unrelated: I was playing a college level player recently and feeling rushed. I started taking my unit turn racket back a lot faster, like immediately, is that the best way to handle heavy pace, like the Etcheverry forehand? How to time it when the ball is flying at you at top speed? Cheers from SoCal.
hi nick i would like to see a more in depth evolution analysis of djokovic forehand. Unlike rafa or roger who had majority of their game and technique down i feel djokovics serve and forehand has evolved quite abit even from say 2012 to now. When I watch djokovic's forehand in 2008 vs 2011 vs 2015 and especially now theres some obvious differences I can point out but some I just cant put a finger on.
For example, it could be just patterns/ playstyle but in 2011 i notice djokovic forehand seemed alot larger in motion and he would hit an airborne open stance much more often. Back then it looked like djokovic hit it more aggressive and marginally later compared to now or 2015 where it looks cleaner
Great vid. Surprised Sampras wasn’t on there knowing that you watched his career and were a fan. Everyone was so scared of his FH and he and Lendl gave so much space on that side daring players to go there and they still tried to avoid it. Also if you watch the Sampras Vs Federer match I think it shows Sampras had the better FH and serve.
Sampras´ forehand was way better than Gonzalez´s
I enjoyed your take on this. I would only add that to me, Nadal won all his Majors and Mssters 1000's mostly because of his forehand. Federer certainly had more other options, and Novak has such such unbelievable balance off both wings, no where to go, and the best return of all time. Because Nadal's success to me was so ultimately dependent on his fh, I would put him at number 1. And I loved Del Po's fh, and would actually pit him at number 3. Such brutal power and consistency, and I loved his simple technique, no pat the dog.
I suppose you are using different criteria. Fed's forehand has been copied by the younger generation players, but I see few copying Nadal's.
@@yongli4304That's because Nadal's forehand technique is so singular/special that it can't really be reproduced. I'm sure there are millions of young kids who would love to hit a forehand like Rafa. It's arguably the most iconic shot in the history of the sport. I was one of those kids. You can see his influence in players like Caspar Ruud, Nishioka, and Ben Shelton's team is trying to model his forehand off of Rafa's.
Will you add a video to the list (forehand, backhand, serve)...
Best strategist in singles.
I really want to up my level to 4.0 or even 4.5, and I feel my individual shots are good.
I need a better game plan. ❤❤❤
Have more top 5’s coming soon
Probably in no particular order: Nadal, Sampras, Del Potro, F. Gonzalez and Alcaraz. I never really saw Borg or Lendl play though. It looks quite slow compared to modern tennis. Honorable mention: Beresategui.
There is no question Nik is a high level coach and I am just a sort of 4.0 level player.
That being mentioned, I don't agree to that top 5 forehands all time as Andre Agassi is not part of it. I think Agassi had by far the best forehand of his generation. And the best until his generation. There is reason to vote for Alcaraz and maybe Nadal, but not for anyone else in my eyes.
Another part where I disagree is predicting Holger Rune to have a historical good forehand moving forward. He is a phenomenal player, but his forehand is still his main weakness as he cannot dominate a match with it. Ben Shelton might dominate the tour with his forehand the upcoming 10 to 15 years, not Rune. Rune has versatility, a great backand, great touch, great movement, creativity. Plus I think Rublev got skipped. He might have a top 15 forehand all time as well. Maybe Gustavo Kuerten as well. Boris Becker doesn't belong to the top forehand hitters. He didn't win a single clay court tournament for some reason. He was a serve and volley player that had been really dependent from the efficiency of his serve.
Thanks for mentioning Paire, the best forehand next to Roger
I mostly agree with this list, but I would swap Gonzalez with del Potro. Del Potro’s forehand allowed him to beat Nadal and Federer back to back to win his grand slam title. If not for injuries his career could have been like Andy Murray or even better
Del Potro’s flat forehand was 🔥 He destroyed Nadal & Federer to win the Slam with that violent shot. 💥
ATP:
1.Federer
2. Nadal
3. Del Potro
4. Gonzalez
5. Lendl/Soderling
Great list. I though would put Del Proto instead of Gonzalez.
Instead of Gonzalez I'd probably put Delpo on the list.
You could also make a video about the Top 5 worst forehand. Benoit Paire would probably be on the list
Worst might be edbergs but he was at net all the time so he didn't hit it too often.
Are you yielding a new racket, Nick? Solinco whiteout? Wilson shift? Ditched the Bab PD+?
I would’ve thought Shelton would be on the honorary mention list next to Sinner. Shelton’s forehand swaps between heavy spin like Nadal, then a penetrating shot like Federer.
He's had a good season but he's a relative nobody compared with that list. It's like saying where is berrettini (though arguably he has more of a claim at this point)
These examples are fairly recent and don’t take account of changing string and racket technology. Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi , Alberto , Lleyton Hewitt and many others had great forehands.
I would replace Gonzalez with Del Potro. The shot that beat nadal and federer b2b (2 best forehands of all time) to win USO 2009 & almost doing it again in 2017!
About time start puttimg chapters and timestamps into your videos Nick, great video otherwise!
Of the current players apart from ones you mentioned Tsitsipas and Rublev have great forehands imo
Lendl’s forehand changed the game. He’s the father of the power baseline game, which is still the most dominant pro style.
I agree with you on the second part, i.e. Lendl played the power baseline game which today is the dominant style. BUT I attribute that to the slower courts of today rather than to Lendl as a guide. And I don't think his forehand was that special.
Totally agree with this. Believe Lendl should be in the Top 5 for how he dominated and changed the game with his forehand.
One of my favorite players that has an amazing forehead is Aaron Krickstein, and of course my boy Andre. Your forehead is very good also my friend. Great job on the video my friend.
you definitely got me with gulbis😂
What racket is he using in this video?
Are you sure Borg used a western grip? Because the pics show that he's using a closer to Eastern grip.
Western side (yes he used eastern)
@@IntuitiveTennis western side?
I agree. I don't know why everyone says Borg used an extreme western grip. He did have a lot of topspin but almost all photos I see of his FH looks much closer to an eastern grip to me. Not even a semi-western.
Out of the next-gen players, I would also add FAA to the list. He isn’t a very consistent player, but if you’re looking at the forehand in isolation, it is a huge weapon.
True
It’s a bit funny that even a tennis coach now has to mention a disclaimer that it’s not a „disrespect to women“, to even talk about the best 5 men‘s forehand strikes. We live in weird times man…
What about Rublev's forehand? It seems like his forehand is an ultimate weapon, he can redirect the ball on each stroke
@IntuitiveTennis, Make a category for greatest running forehand of all time, Sampras at the top for that category :-)
Except Nadal, I think I already found most of the technical foindamentals for each player forehand you mention in this list. Each one of them uses different way of hitting. Federer if he stops sport and went to do fighting he might learn it and be one of the strongest fighter as well based on his movement technique in tennis
My picks: 5: Roddick, 4: Alcaraz, 3: Nadal, 2: Djokovic, 1:Agassi
I'm surprised Hewitt is even among the honorary mentions and would like to know why? True, he was very consistent and could flatten out the ball, but had little natural power. His backhand was considered just as good. His strength was that he had no obvious holes, moved well, and was a fighter.
The audio is posted around the middle of the video
I watched Fernado Gonzales when he was 16 he came to Edmonton Canada spring 1996 for Davis Cup with Marcelo Rios, in fact I recall John McEnroe saying Rios had the best forehand on tour. I am not so sure Fernando had a top five forehand. Yes, with Federer, it was a real weapon. Mark Philippoussis, not many hit it harder than him
I’d exchange Alcaraz with Agassi. A good forehand should be able to also take balls on the rise and attack serves. Yes not that applicable to todays slower balls and courts, but imo still a measure of a good forehand.
If you remember back in the day over 11 years ago now the tennis channel did a top 100 tennis players of all time. End it was pretty epic baseless off of what’s the greatest tennis players in history thought as well and commentators. However what I disliked about the list was like put both men and women on that list. I feel like you should do a best women’s and best men’s separate because it’s just not fair to either the WTA tour or the ATP tour to lump them together.
I’m really surprised you didn’t include Del Porto in my opinion he arguably has the most lethal forehand in history definitely the most powerful. My forehand is very similar to his besides the grip. And I actually prefer the OG Federer forehand over the modern one, in my opinion it was much more fluent and much more elegant he had that high loop. But he got rid of around 2007.
I'm a Federer fan, but I have to rank the forehand in the order Djokovic, Nadal, Federer. Federer wins the style points, but his is the least consistent (check out how many times he hits the frame at the some critical moments), and least powerful (give Federer a high bouncing ball at the baseline, Federer can rarely hit a winner from there, but Nadal and Djokovic hit winners from there routinely). Djokovic's forehand may not be as elegant, but is undoubtedly the most efficient. He can produce shots that are more consistent, and with as much power as Nadal/Federer, yet with less effort. This is why he is less injury prone and will last a lot longer than Nadal/Federer. His forehand is not the most lethal one, but in terms of combined quality of power, spin, consistency, and efficiency, there is no one like Djokovic in history.
How is Shamir not on this list?!😉
My list
1. Roger
2. Sinner, djok
3. Agassi
4. Alcatraz
5. Nadal
Agassi Forehand could match against federer. The only thing agassi far behind from roger is the serve.
Look at the 2005 us open final match up. Agassi loss because of his lack of power compare to roger
When Alcaraz was younger and asked about his favourite player, he said Rafael. Not Roger. You read the subtitles. You didn't hear what he said. Subtitles of that video are wrong. You can watch that video again.
Nice video though🙌
Cannot not have Sampras in the top 5. The guy won 14 slams with just his forehand. Probably the best running forehand of all time too... I wouldn't have put Djoker or Alcaraz in the list. (Even though Djoker is my guy)
Interesting. I think Fed’s forehand was more erratic than Nadal’s, especially in cruical moments.
In Federer’s later years when he was slower and footwork became slightly worse is when we’d start to see more errors. Federer’s forehand completely depends on quality footwork. Nadal can get away with sloppy footwork on his forehand because of the topspin and margin on it
@@keeganandersson4281Nah, it happened quite often during his early and mid career period too. I’ve followed him for almost 22 years and saw some ’bad’ matches (he’s human just like us). Though, it happened often when he was under pressure, he tried to change the forehand during the match instead of sticking to his trademark strokes. Roland Garros finals 2011 against Nadal the best example.
What about Rublev?
Not to have Sampras diminishes your list. It appears you prioritize the combination of body rotation and topspin as mandatory components. Sampras could hit it flat, with spin and hit it on the run better than anyone then or now.
Love your list but Nadal should probably be number 1 with Federer number 2. The head to head matchup is too lopsided in favor of Nadal. And since Nadal is not a great server it would be fair to believe that his forehand played a huge role in his domination of Federer. Otherwise no issues with your list.
You got me for a second when you said Gulbis? 😂
Gonzalez had the most powerful forehand in his prime years.
Please make a video again on how to play penetrating fast paced balls
It’s a crime not to have the Sampras FH on the list…many would argue it is at the top !
Lendl, Agassi, Becker, and Sinner could be argued to easily make the list ahead of Gonzales, and we still need more years to make a stronger case for Alcaraz. Thus two of your top 5 are questionable.
Ivan, andre, Pete and Roger and that is it
No Verdasco even for honorable mention?? Did I miss it?
I think putting Alcaraz there is a bit premature at thsi stage. I think we need to see him for five years before coming to that conclusion.
Lendl , Sampras , Steffi Graff had the best forehands of all time
With out Del Potro this list is not complete!¡ In other channels Delpo's forehand is always in the top 3
Does Monica Seles really have a forehand or does she have 2 two handed backhands.
Great video but I’m still thinking… thanks
I thought Berasategui deserved a mention.
Djokovic in the top5? Insanity. Even Novak himself would laugh if he saw his forehand ranked above Del Potro's.
in my opinion gonzalez’s forehand is overrated over delpo’s. but over the years people have come around
not all top players have good forehand. One of them actually has weak forehand. It is Richard Gasquet. In my opinion his forehand is the weakest among of top 100. Any top 100 player has a better forehand than Gasquet. If his forehand was better, he could achieve something great in his career. However, no doubt, his backhand is a lethal weapon. Everybody must agree to put his backhand into Top 10 best single backhand.
Isn't the Seles forehand 2-handed??
Del potro is the best ( in my opinion)
Agassi and Sampras’s forehands should have been in the top five. Geez!!
2 words - FERNANDO GONZALES
There is such a weird thing to rank, with varying criteria. Consistency? efficiency? Pace? Shape? Are top ATP players not hitting forehand winners due to inferior forehand technique or being rushed by opponents most of the time?
Biggest plot twist.
I thought you would put Federer 3rd, Nadal 2nd and Novak 1st!
Fernando GONZALEZ !!! Best by faaaaaar!