tennisnet.com ATP

Chess on Center Court - Who are the best strategists on the tennis court?

Our editorial team has dared to find the best strategists in top-class tennis in completely free text and thought form.

by Stefan Bergmann
last edit: Dec 04, 2022, 06:35 pm

© Getty Images
Novak Djokovic is one of the best strategists on the ATP tour in the tennisnet.com editorial team

Which player has the right match plan at hand at all times during a match? Who hatches the best ideas for a successful match design even before the game starts? In an era in which many players are only accused of thoughtless power tennis, the one with the best strategy on the court is the one-eyed king among the blind. In the editorial office, we thought about who this attribution might fit. In no particular order and also without guarantee of completeness.

Jens Huiber: Best strategist? Perhaps we should use the process of elimination here and include the women right away. Then Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko are eliminated. Unfortunately, Nikoloz Basilashvili does not make the cut for the men, but all of them are still young. On the WTA tour, one could point to Ons Jabeur as the greatest strategist, after all, the Tunisian has the richest arsenal of weapons among all top players. For men, it's a neck-and-neck race between Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic. Meddy doesn't have that many tools up his sleeve, but the Russian's game intelligence is almost unmatched. If it weren't for Djokovic, who has an answer for everything, anticipates his opponent's balls like no other and leaves nothing to chance.

Niki Fink: On the women's tour there isn't a single player who can even come close to matching the Polish player Iga Swiatek in terms of tactics. See the US Open 2022, when she didn't play her best tennis by far and still won her second Grand Slam of 2022.

Stefan Bergmann: If Ashleigh Barty hadn't thrown in the towel at the beginning of the season, my opinion on women's tennis would have been obvious. For her age of 21, Iga Swiatek, who is clearly number one in the world, inspires me the most at the moment. It is not for nothing that the Pole has more than twice as many points as her first pursuer Ons Jabeur, who, by the way, also has a clear tennis mind. The fact that Swiatek is also considered one of the most intelligent and well-read players off the field is also noticeable on the field. In the most difficult match moments, the lady from Warsaw remains calm and analytical. I see similarities in the men's Novak Djokovic. Even if it is not always obviously spectacular to look at, the Serb knows exactly when to play which ball - even in moments of greatest distress. Coupled with his incredible experience, the 21-time Grand Slam champion can master practically any situation, no matter how difficult. For the future, a Dominic Stricker could become a worthy strategist successor - the Swiss charmed me in the next-gen finals up to the KO phase with effectively used rhythm changes and variants.

Victoria Moser: Definitely Ons Jabeur, because she has a wonderfully varied style of play that you won't find anywhere else on the women's tour in this range.

Michael Rothschädl: In terms of strategy, it can only be one: Novak Djokovic. Allow me a little personal insight: If I had every time this season when I gave the designated break to my next door in front of the television at the end of a set at 30:30 and 30:15 and serve Novak Djokovic with a meaningful expression Prognosticated in favor of the Serbs, gave a tip, I would probably be one or the other euro richer. What speaks for it: If it counts, then Novak Djokovic knows exactly what to do. And uses this knowledge coldly. Over and over again. In the women's team, the most adept strategic brain for me this season has been Ons Jabeur for long stretches. And that over long distances highly successfully. Hardly anyone was able to lure her opponent out of her reserve with (quite unorthodox-looking) punches like the Tunisian. And then to put the forehand in the limelight.

by Stefan Bergmann

Sunday
Dec 04, 2022, 08:25 pm
last edit: Dec 04, 2022, 06:35 pm