Hit to your opponent’s backhand. For generations, that was considered the most foolproof tactic in tennis.
It is not anymore — and not just because backhands have improved so much. Especially on the men’s tour, players simply run around shots to their backhand, even into the doubles alley, to blast an inside-out forehand back with tremendous pace at a seemingly impossible angle.
“The inside-out forehand is one of the most important shots in the game,” Novak Djokovic said. “I look for every opportunity to do it.”
Roger Federer said: “If you ask guys what their favorite shot is, a lot would say the inside-out forehand.