Grigor Dimitrov’s Miami Open run heralds the return of one-handed backhand into ATP top 10 just weeks after its disappearance

Grigor Dimitrov’s journey to the final of the 2024 Miami Open guarantees his reentry into the ATP top 10 rankings next week, as well as bringing back the single-handed backhand to the ranks of the elite.

This week, Dimitrov displayed exceptional skills on the court and advanced to his third-ever ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami. He overpowered Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Hubert Hurkacz, Yannick Hanfmann, and Alejandro Tabilo on his way to the championship match, where he will compete against the third-ranked Jannik Sinner.

Thanks to his exceptional performance, Grigor Dimitrov is poised to break into the top 10 singles rankings at No. 9 in the global standings. If he emerges victorious at the Masters-level tournament on Sunday, he could climb even higher to No. 7. The 32-year-old has also revived the aspirations and passion of one-handed backhand enthusiasts among tennis fans.

In February, for the first time since the computer rankings were introduced, the top 10 did not include a player with a single-handed backhand. Stefanos Tsitsipas dropped to No. 11 after a series of disappointing performances in 2024, ending his reign as the sole representative of the one-handed backhand. This position had previously been held by the Greek player after Roger Federer’s ranking dropped outside the top 10 in 2021 due to a right knee injury and subsequent 2020 sabbatical.

Federer was consistently ranked in the top 10 from 2002 to 2016 and again from 2017 to 2020. Despite briefly falling out of the top rankings between 2016 and 2017 due to a left knee injury, fellow Swiss player Stan Wawrinka maintained the presence of the one-handed backhand among the elite.

“The Resilience of Grigor Dimitrov: Overcoming Adversity on the Court”

In a recent interview, Grigor Dimitrov shared his perspective on the decline of the single-handed backhand in the world of tennis. According to the Bulgarian, the game’s technological progress has led to a decrease in the number of players utilizing one-handed backhands at the highest levels.

Despite this, he advocated for the aesthetic quality of the shot and argued that the majority of players with a one-handed backhand possess impeccable timing on the ball.

“When it comes to a different generation, yeah, we’re going to see less and less. For sure I’m counting on every guy that’s still out there with one hand to keep on pushing and playing for that,”Grigor Dimitrov told Tennis.com. “Of course, I will probably be the biggest supporter of that shot.”

“I think the beauty of the one hand is just there’s so much to it in order to hit the ball right with one hand. It starts with the timing, looking at the ball, the swing, the height.”