Elements of the top 20's games

Novak Djokovic
Serve: Average
Forehand: Well above average
Backhand: Well above average
Volleys: Average
Returns: Well above average
Movement: Well above average

Roger Federer
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Well above average
Backhand: Average
Volleys: Well above average
Returns: Above average
Movement: Above average

Rafael Nadal
Serve: Average
Forehand: Well above average
Backhand: Average
Volleys: Average
Returns: Above average
Movement: Well above average

Stan Wawrinka
Serve: Above average
Forehand: Above average
Backhand: Well above average
Volleys: Average
Returns: Below average
Movement: Average

Kei Nishikori
Serve: Well below average
Forehand: Above average
Backhand: Well above average
Volleys: Average
Returns: Well above average
Movement: Well above average

Andy Murray
Serve: Below average
Forehand: Average
Backhand: Well above average
Volleys: Above average
Returns: Well above average
Movement: Well above average

Tomas Berdych
Serve: Above average
Forehand: Well above average
Backhand: Above average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Average
Movement: Average

Milos Raonic
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Below average
Backhand: Well below average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Well below average
Movement: Well below average

Marin Cilic
Serve: Above average
Forehand: Below average
Backhand: Above average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Above average
Movement: Average

David Ferrer
Serve: Well below average
Forehand: Above average
Backhand: Below average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Well above average
Movement: Well above average

Grigor Dimitrov
Serve: Above average
Forehand: Above average
Backhand: Below average
Volleys: Above average
Returns: Well below average
Movement: Above average

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Well above average
Backhand: Below average
Volleys: Well above average
Returns: Well below average
Movement: Average

Ernests Gulbis
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Well below average
Backhand: Above average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Above average
Movement: Average

Feliciano Lopez
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Well below average
Backhand: Well below average
Volleys: Well above average
Returns: Well below average
Movement: Below average

Roberto Bautista-Agut
Serve: Well below average
Forehand: Above average
Backhand: Below average
Volleys: Well below average
Returns: Average
Movement: Above average

Kevin Anderson
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Below average
Backhand: Average
Volleys: Average
Returns: Below average
Movement: Below average

Tommy Robredo
Serve: Average
Forehand: Above average
Backhand: Below average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Below average
Movement: Well above average

Fabio Fognini
Serve: Below average
Forehand: Below average
Backhand: Above average
Volleys: Above average
Returns: Above average
Movement: Well above average

Gael Monfils
Serve: Above average
Forehand: Above average
Backhand: Average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Average
Movement: Well above average

Gilles Simon
Serve: Well below average
Forehand: Below average
Backhand: Above average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Above average
Movement: Well above average

Doktor Carpet said:

I don't like Muglos, but I agree.

It not like he's a great volleyer, but judging by top 20-30 level? Above average. There aren't 10 volleyers in the tour better than him.

The same criterion I used to judge Dimitrov's backhand and return.

Click to expand...

In the era of the shitty volleyers, the mediocre volley wins. I can buy that, but for your information I always hope for Roger to draw RaoDicK into the net because he always misses easy volleys - or hits stop volleys that sit up begging for punishment. Asking Milo to defend net is like asking a mongoose to play in traffic and survive. That's why I wouldn't put him higher than "average", because it's comical watching him miss the most simple of volleys.


Milos Raonic
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Below average
Backhand: Well below average
Volleys: Average (at best)
Returns: Well below average
Movement: Well below average


Roger Federer
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Well above average
Backhand: Above average (after 2014)
Volleys: Well above average
Returns: Above average
Movement: Above average

Lord Sindelar said:

Asking Milo to defend net is like asking a mongoose to play in traffic and survive.

Click to expand...

:lol:

I agree mate, but the fact is: most of the players volley even worse.

Btw, TOP 20 players can't have too much way below average top 20-30 strokes, unless they have a "super serve", like Isner or Karlovic.

I'll give an example of a player I neither like nor dislike, otherwise people will say I'm being biased.

lutraphile said:

Kevin Anderson
Serve: Well above average
Forehand: Well below average
Backhand: Average
Volleys: Below average
Returns: Below average
Movement: Below average

Click to expand...

No way Anderson's forehand is well below average top 20-30 level, his serve isn't bot level, it's more like Berdych level, his main weapon is serve + forehand combo, without that he wouldn't be a top 20.

Same can be said for Tsonga's return and backhand. Well, both are surely below average for a top 10 player, but average for a top 30 guy, otherwise he wouldn't be a top 12 player. He would be 25-30.

My point is: a top 20 player can't be such bad (way below top 30) at important strokes like backhand, forehand or return, unless he is a bot almost impossible to break. Otherwise he wouldn't be ranked so high.