Best of the Best?

[jimlosaltos]

Does Jannik Sinner have the best serve, return, forehand and backhand on the ATP now?

You can argue about each or all of these claims in my image, and I don't think any are definitive. Still, that only one player can be arguably called the best in all four of these categories makes a statement. Sinner is threatening to become the first since these records were kept to lead the ATP in both percent of service games won and percent of return games won for the year. The forehand and backhand "quality" are harder to measure. I'll posit that the main measure that drives La Carotta's success on hard courts is his ability to "steal time" but holding the baseline ala Fed and Novak, while hitting with constant pace and depth so his opponent can't get one swing "off". No one can just play a neutral rally ball or two. A simple, deep groundstroke up the middle and be put away. There is no safe place to go.

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[stotty]

Late in his career, Agassi played Federer and got beaten handily. In the press conference afterward, he said: ''The problem with playing Roger…there is no safe place to go.’’

So it’s something that’s been said before. Personally, I wouldn’t put Sinner in Roger’s category just yet no matter what stats are thrown at me. The problem we have at the moment is we only have two great players on the scene. And the problem I have with Sinner is he's well down in head-to-heads against Carlos, who is the closest player we have to Roger in terms of artistry. So he’s vulnerable to a creative player - this we know for sure.

I like Sinner but he’s probably the most robotic player in the history of tennis. And there has been a few!

[stroke]

Late in his career, Agassi played Federer and got beaten handily. In the press conference afterward, he said: ''The problem with playing Roger…there is no safe place to go.’’

So it’s something that’s been said before. Personally, I wouldn’t put Sinner in Roger’s category just yet no matter what stats are thrown at me. The problem we have at the moment is we only have two great players on the scene. And the problem I have with Sinner is he's well down in head-to-heads against Carlos, who is the closest player we have to Roger in terms of artistry. So he’s vulnerable to a creative player - this we know for sure.

I like Sinner but he’s probably the most robotic player in the history of tennis. And there has been a few!

I love Stotty's take on this stuff, he knows what he is talking about. I do disagree slightly with him, but I certainly see his take.

[jimlosaltos]

But my question is not best at everything nor best of all time. It's best overall in those four big categories today?

Vulnerable? Yes, fitness seems his biggest issue. Can't match Alcaraz's touch ( who can? ) At net? Mechanical as stotty wrote.

Overall serve, return, groundstrokes.