Tennis......The French Open, and yup, the drop shot has become the most fun shot

[a kennedy]

to watch being played. Love it. Sure getting a work out here.

[CincyDem]

1. Clay and grass, perfect surfaces for a drop with a ton of backspin.

[a kennedy]

2. I honestly do not remember the drop shot being used this much.

Agree it is a better shot on clay and grass, but I do not remember it being used so much.

[CincyDem]

3. I think that's right.

Most of what I see here is the US Open surface which might be the worst for drop shots but they’re still played. I wonder if it has something to do with younger players looking for a place in the game against the Novak/Rafa power baseline play style. Seems like its use jumped when Alcaraz arrived on the scene.

Hard to say but it’s not showing up in Grand Slam play without it having become a coaching/strategy decision over the past 5-6 years as these players were coming up.

[a kennedy]

4. Yup, yup, I think that as well......Carlos I mean, I call him the king of the drop shot.

I really don’t remember seeing anyone else use it as much as he did last year…….now, lots more younger players are using it. Nothing against the power shots, but the finesse and the hidden beauty of the drop shot just makes me love the players using it.

Good match going on right now at the French, Osaka vs Swiatek.

[CincyDem]

5. I usually only catch the semis/finals on TV

I will confess to having become a “tennis snob”. We have the Cincinnati tournament here and have been doing the whole week for the past 12-15 years. Amazing facility that’s so intimate…seeing Roger/Rafa/Novak all up close…Serena/Azerenka…and of course Carlos and Meddy. Just some unbelievable matches.

TV just doesn’t do it for me anymore. As I joke, ya don’t eat burger when you’ve become accustomed to filet. And live tennis is certainly filet !

[LisaM]

6. Become? It always has been.

Glad to see it make somewhat of a comeback!

[a kennedy]

7. I honestly do not remember in the Serena or Venus era them EVER using the drop shot.

I might be wrong……but don’t remember them ever playing the drop shot, they were just the best power hitters.

[LisaM]

8. No, they didn't use it (though Serena eventually started to).

It doesn't mean it wasn't always a great shot to watch. I never cottoned to that style of just overpowering the opponent. I basically stopped watching Serena Williams. It wasn't fun for me.

I do wonder how tennis would be if the pros had to use wooden racquets the way MLB players use wooden bats. I realize that ship has sailed, but tennis was more fun to watch when the players depended on a variety of shots. Chris Evert used it very effectively.

[malaise]

9. Agree

Rec