New shots at Roland Garros: These are not underhanded compliments

Come gather ‘round, players of all ages and skill levels. Pay attention parents, and watch closely. Now, talk with your coaches. Better yet, study those crafty older players you think are out of touch with today’s game. The time has come to make the old the new. Look no further for evidence of tennis’ eclectic evolution than this year at Roland Garros, when such tools as the underarm serve, the volley and the drop shot have all made their presence felt.

The role of power in tennis is understood and acknowledged. A hearty and forceful drive has always been central to the mission, be it the classic crosscourt or the ability to rip one down the line, the latter a weapon that has become increasingly present over the last quarter-century. Power in tennis is as obvious and eternal as death and taxes. For now, let us put power aside and instead poke into far more nuanced nooks and crannies.

Start with the underarm serve. Or, as I prefer to call it, the underhand serve. This shot that enjoyed its heyday in the Victorian Era has been resurrected in the last few years by Nick Kyrgios. Alas, Kyrgios’ standing as tennis’ premier jokester undermines its credibility. That’s too bad. The underhand serve should enter the tennis lexicon less as a wacky party crasher and more as an honored guest. Granted, no one practices this shot, nor is it taught. Why not? With players standing many feet behind the baseline to return serve, it’s a useful tactic, yet another way of stretching the dimensions of the court. Let all learn how to barely drop it over or even slice one wickedly.

Alexander Bublik, GOAT? In this case, perhaps:

But while the underhand serve has never even been invited to the party, what are we to make of that longstanding but long overlooked guest, the volley? Watching Simona Halep, Elina Svitolina and Andrey Rublev lose at Roland Garros, I’m starting to wonder if many contemporary pros regard the volley like world peace: a worthy idea, but not too hard to pursue. Why do so many players rarely learn to volley properly? What goes on when they are learning the game? My suspicion is that so many players these days learn to win from the baseline at such a young age that they rarely seek to do anything else.

Meanwhile, note how the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have put in time—while ranked in the Top 3—to improve their volleys. Nadal in particular should be a example to all. Granted, his are not the crisp, deep volleys associated with such greats as Stefan Edberg and Rod Laver. But instead, Nadal is a master at using his thundering groundstrokes to give him the opportunity to delicately close out many a point with a delicate placement.

(Pardon this digression, but when it comes to the net area, are you as staggered as I am at the quality of overheads these days at the pro level? When did the swing volley or the retrieval replace a shot that once upon a time was highly conclusive? My, I sound like one of those old basketball fans, lamenting that today’s players aren’t as good at making free throws. But maybe the lack of overhead skills explains why more players don’t come to net frequently. Here again, Nadal is an exception, his overhead arguably the best in the game.)

Now, a return to current currency: the drop shot. To think that over a decade ago, no less a genius than Roger Federer expressed mild disdain for this delicious teardrop. Roland Garros 2020 could well be renamed “The Festival of the Drop,” everything from the wind to the chill to other factors compelling players to employ it frequently. Earlier this year, Sofia Kenin made it a major part of her run to the title in Australia. Kenin has only continued such deployment at Roland Garros, even showing off that most tasty of morsels, the drop shot return. Watch this particularly wacky point, from Kenin's semifinal with Petra Kvitova, that includes a dropper:

Djokovic has hit dozens of mid-rally droppers. Nadal throws in his share. And then there’s Ons Jabeur, who even violates the conventional notion that it’s best not to hit one when standing behind the baseline.

The big point of all this campaigning for shots club players deploy is that tennis should be viewed and learned far more broadly. Among recreational players, the tendency is to tag these shots with such labels as “junk,” “clever,” or even use unprintable words to describe them—a contrast to the way “clean” and “crisp” honor flat drives. But just how helpful is that for anyone to use that kind of language? What makes an underhand serve or a drop shot anymore diabolical than a powerful crosscourt drive? Must variety be a culprit?

My nomination for the next tennis party guest shot: the return of the moonball, deployed as an approach shot. Toss in the underhanded serve, and the cocktail mix will surely be enough to make opponents quite tipsy.