In tennis, there has always been the stereotypical image of the traditional grass-court player: moderately tall and lanky, with a big booming first serve, an intelligent second serve, a sound volley, a good slice and a decent overall game.
Since the turn of the millennium, though, a distorting distance has developed between this image and the reality. As the lawns at Wimbledon — the place where grass-court tennis finds its greatest exposition — changed hue and racquet-and-string technology improved, consummate all-courters have ruled the roost.
In the 21 editions from 2002 to 2023, Novak Djokovic has won seven times, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal twice each, and Lleyton Hewitt and Carlos Alcaraz once. Even the great Roger Federer, who appeared every bit the quintessential grass genius when he won the first of his eight titles in 2003, moved away and held on to only a few of the basic tenets.
Reclaiming space
In the last five years however, there has been one man who has tried — and been fairly successful at — upsetting the apple cart and reclaiming the place for his ilk — Matteo Berrettini.
Setting the agenda: Most times, when Berrettini lands his first serve, it’s either unreturnable or draws an easy putaway. | Photo credit: Getty Images
The 6’5” Italian possesses a monstrous first serve, a second serve that hisses and rears, a crushing forehand, a reasonable volley, an effective slice and a solid backhand. And with these tools, he has won four of the 11 grass-court events he has entered starting Stuttgart 2019, finished a finalist twice — including 2021 Wimbledon — and semifinalist once. Four is half the number of titles he has won all career.
Berrettini has made at least one grass final in four of the five seasons since 2019 (with Covid washing out 2020). With the grass swing lasting just three weeks between the end of the French Open and the start of Wimbledon, replicating success year on year is remarkably tough. What also makes the 28-year-old’s achievement noteworthy is the fact that no other man, other than Djokovic, has won more than two grass titles in this period.
Through his career, one of the biggest points of difference between Berrettini and the rest has been his serve. Most times, when he lands his first serve, it’s either an unreturnable or it sets up a second shot that is an easy putaway. On the second serve, he imparts so much spin that it locks the returner into awkward positions, making it harder to find…