For The First Time In ATP Rankings History, The Entire Top 5 Is 30+

When you take away the really fast surfaces (even wimbledon has grass that is slower), and make balls bounce higher – it makes defence more rewarding than offence, most of the time. Strong defence needs years of practice, training, strength, stamina, patience, experience – all things that take years to develop, and don’t go away that much when you are 30. On the other hand, offence needs the player to step in, maybe serve and volley, move forward, have quick reflexes, really fast speed, an attitude that takes more risk – all of these are abundant in young players, but do weaken by age 30.

So nobody should be surprised at this stat in this article.

The 17 year old Becker of 1985 would never win Wimbledon today.

May 22nd, 2017 at 10:02 am

“On the other hand, offence needs the player to step in, maybe serve and volley, move forward, have quick reflexes, really fast speed, an attitude that takes more risk – all of these are abundant in young players, but do weaken by age 30” –

Except in Federer’s case! He’s obviously been penalised by the slowing down of the surfaces.

The sport needs more variety in court speeds – that will make it less predictable.

May 22nd, 2017 at 11:27 am

Fed was beaten fair and square and he avoided playing fast grass Davis Cup ties too.
Old age excuses had started back in 2007. So pitiful and disturbing.
Fed fans claim he played most Davis Cup matches as well as most fast court and slow clay matches from the weak 2000-2007 Roddick era.
Fed didn’t even try for fast court Davis cup semis until 2011, when Djoker & Nadal took over tennis.

We had clowns like Roddick skipping many clay tournaments to have a “chance at Wimbledon” and face daddy Fed, but Fed couldn’t dominate anyone except glorified journeyman Roddick, Hewitt and overhyped journeymen. Agassi barely was a legend due to his lack of dominance for 2 decades and hatred of tennis, yet Fed needed the injured Agassi’s bad choke at the US Open final to escape.

Fed still couldn’t destroy “loser” Djoker, Nadal, Murray, Del Po, Berdych, Tsonga and Wawrinka.
The fast courts suddenly became slow because Djoker embarrassed Fed at the U.S. open and Wimbledon, Djoker’s worst Slams. Djoker was just an all surface player that didn’t have emotional stability to stay focused in Slams.
Djoker was more relaxed in Masters and Masters Cup, then he improved in Slams. Fedal were too afraid of losing to Djoker (not Roddick, Safin & Hewitt) so had to pretend they were too sick and injured for 6 months-12 months.
Commentators n Eurosport & Espn were too cowardly to admit it. It was too easy to talk about how fake and lucky Djoker was in 2008-2009 and cry about Fed being old and unlucky with Nadal around in 2007.
Fed was old at age 25 when Canas beat him…

May 22nd, 2017 at 12:14 pm

Top 5 all 30+.
Indeed, but since the start of the current ranking system in 2009 season, the combined ranking points of the top 5 players were never at such a low point.
Their age is reflected in their ‘poor’ amount of ranking points, if you ask me.

May 22nd, 2017 at 12:29 pm

Truth,

1 number. 18

2 words: Grand Slams

9 more: Advice: You really need to get out more often.

May 23rd, 2017 at 10:40 am

Madmax to be honest, i never understand a bleedin word that Truth says, his or her posts never make a blind bit of sense anyway, other than having a morbid obsession with Roddick, who retired yonks ago *SHAKES HEAD* ….

May 23rd, 2017 at 11:34 am

I too wonder what Truth is on about. Part of the fantasy seems to depend on the idea that all the tennis authorities and tournament management, tailored the courts to help Federer win.

This is a crazy idea in the case of America, because when he first rose to the top Roger was not popular in the USA. American fans were used to their own players winning the big titles, and almost resented interlopers. Prime example – Lendl, who was famously described as “The champion nobody cares about” during his amazing run of reaching the US Open finals.

May 23rd, 2017 at 12:14 pm

Truth & Roddick BFF

May 23rd, 2017 at 1:36 pm