Lefties Like Shelton And Draper Could Flip The Script At This Year’s Us Open

During nan highest years of nan Big Three, from 2008-2020, nan only applicable rumor to beryllium discussed erstwhile discussing a expansive slam tie was which of nan trio was scheduled to meet earlier nan final. And what this yet meant was that semi-finals often turned retired beryllium amended than nan finals (see: nan 2010 and 2011 US Open semi-finals betwixt Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, aliases nan 2013 and 2021 French Open semis betwixt Rafael Nadal and Djokovic).

Tennis hadn’t had that benignant of impenetrable triangle of stars since nan Jimmy Connors-Björn Borg-John McEnroe troika’s very little clasp connected nan athletics successful nan precocious 1970s and very early 1980s. What makes that long-ago epoch guidelines retired moreover further is nan preponderance of left-handed players. Consider – from 1974 done 1984, a southpaw triumphed successful each 1 of those 11 years astatine nan US Open; Connors successful 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982 and 1983; Manuel Orantes successful 1975, Guillermo Vilas successful 1977 and John McEnroe successful 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984. Further, successful 1979 4 of nan top-six classed men were lefties – Connors, McEnroe, Vilas and Roscoe Tanner. And conscionable anterior to Connors and McEnroe’s dominance, nan left-handed Rod Laver had been – by acold – nan champion men’s subordinate successful nan world erstwhile nan unfastened era began.

Why were lefties truthful predominant? It’s intolerable to know. But successful nan 41 years since McEnroe’s past US Open title only 2 antheral lefties (Nadal and Goran Ivanišević) person won nan US Open aliases Wimbledon singles title and only 3 different lefties person claimed immoderate slam: Andrés Gómez (1990 French Open), Thomas Muster (1995 French Open) and Petr Korda, who won his 1 and only slam successful Australia successful 1998.

And Nadal isn’t moreover a earthy lefty arsenic he does astir each different tasks right-handed. Part of nan fable of nan Spaniard is that erstwhile he was a young subordinate he deed his groundstrokes pinch 2 hands from some sides. His coach and uncle, Toni, saw his nephew deed stronger from nan left-handed broadside and from that infinitesimal connected Nadal became a lefty. Contrary to first opinions connected nan topic, location was nary maestro scheme to move an babe Nadal into a lefty to reap nan inherent benefits of being a southpaw successful tennis.

The aforesaid inclination has besides held existent for nan women. In nan precocious 1970s into nan mid-1990s, respective southpaw women accumulated a bounty of slam titles, astir notably Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles (though she deed pinch some hands for each her shots, she was a earthy lefty and served left-handed). But since Seles’s too-short reign, location person been only 3 chap left-handers to declare a women’s major, Petra Kvitova, Marketa Vondroušová and Angelique Kerber.

What makes nan paucity of left-handed champions successful nan sport’s caller history truthful puzzling is that location is simply a chopped advantage to being a lefty. Be it McEnroe’s twisting, slicing service successful nan all-important advertisement tribunal (the changeable that immoderate support drove Borg from nan sport), aliases Nadal’s vicious precocious topspin forehands into Federer’s backhand, lefties person confounded moreover nan astir talented right-handed players passim nan sport’s history. The different shot trajectories and spins that nan lefties impart are conscionable truthful vastly different for nan mostly of players who are righties. And, to authorities it moreover much simply, from a young property left-handers are conscionable much accustomed to hitting against right-handers than vice versa.

The advantage that lefties person successful tennis is not dissimilar to nan separator southpaw pitchers bask successful baseball, aliases left-handed bowlers person successful cricket. Consider nan truth that location are 84 pitchers successful nan Hall of Fame and 18 are lefties, accounting for much than 20% which is astir double nan lefty percent successful nan wide population. The service and nan transportation are nan 2 astir important components to nan respective sports. And successful each lawsuit their extremity is to confound and confuse their foe.

It does look that a lefty renaissance successful tennis whitethorn beryllium nether way. Leading nan complaint are Ben Shelton (natural lefty) and Jack Draper (a much Nadal-like lefty who switched ascendant hands arsenic a junior).

The mobility that each apical antheral American subordinate hears relentlessly is whether he will beryllium nan “first American to triumph a slam since Andy Roddick”. If Shelton were to notch a awesome he’d besides beryllium nan first American lefty since McEnroe successful 1984 to do so.

Shelton, nan world No 6, won his first-round lucifer astatine Flushing Meadows successful consecutive sets connected Sunday, and is having nan champion and astir accordant twelvemonth of his career. Despite a disappointing decorativeness successful Cincinnati, losing a lopsided quarter-final to Alexander Zverev, nan Floridian did triumph his first Masters title successful Canada earlier this period and is accelerated becoming a assured all-around subordinate who is utilizing his leftyness to maximum advantage, particularly pinch nan wide ad-court serve. And though nan task of breaking nan stranglehold that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner person astatine nan apical of nan athletics is daunting, to opportunity nan least, Shelton has nan devices – astir notably his powerful service – to supply a morganatic challenge.

Shelton’s grounds against nan apical 2 doesn’t look to connection overmuch dream connected insubstantial arsenic he has won only 1 of 10 meetings against Alcaraz and Sinner, but he has made it adjacent connected respective occasions. It’ll beryllium paramount for Shelton to – again – maximize nan usage of his tremendous service if he were to play either of nan apical two. One of Shelton’s weaknesses erstwhile he first appeared connected circuit was his sometimes erratic play and go-for-broke style. But it is this nonstop constituent that he’ll request to summon if he is to frighten Sinner aliases Alcaraz. Nobody thumps that duo by engaging successful extended rallies. Chances person to beryllium taken.

Draper, for illustration Shelton, is besides enjoying his champion twelvemonth arsenic a pro. His stellar tally started astatine slightest year’s US Open erstwhile he made nan semi-finals and it continued into 2025 arsenic he, for illustration Shelton, besides won his first Masters title, astatine Indian Wells. Since he started up playing correct handed, Draper has remarked connected galore occasions that his backhand is conscionable arsenic potent a limb arsenic his forehand.

And location is simply a 3rd lefty successful nan operation – arguably nan astir breathtaking of nan bunch. Frenchman Terence Atmane arrived seemingly retired of obscurity successful Cincinnati arsenic nan qualifier took down 2 top-10 seeds (Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune) successful summation to easy defeating different talented young player, João Fonseca. In nan semi-final against Sinner, Atmane put a scare into nan world No 1, pushing nan Italian to a tiebreak successful nan first set, earlier coming down to world successful nan second.

With his hyper-abbreviated work mobility and toss, Atmane brings to mind that different lefty from nan 1970s, Roscoe Tanner. Atmane’s incredibly powerful service doesn’t springiness nan receiver overmuch clip to respond and erstwhile nan constituent starts, his high-rpm forehand is astir intolerable to defend. Rune and Fritz looked utterly blindsided successful Cincinnati erstwhile facing nan 23-year-old. Unfortunately, we won’t spot Atmane astatine this year’s US Open aft he was forced to retreat pinch a ft injury.

Contrast is bully for sports, successful truth it’s basal for drama. By having much lefties successful nan operation successful tennis it tin only adhd to nan value and characteristic of nan matchups. And pinch a slate of young southpaws making awesome strides, it’ll beryllium sooner than later earlier a lefty again claims a men’s expansive slam title.