Over the years, tennis has produced its fair share of highlights. While these would be impossible to boil down to one video or article, we’ve dusted off the archives to present the 10 greatest tennis shots in history. From retired legends to current superstars of the sport, here’s some of the best shots you’ll ever see.
Did we miss any great shot that should have been in the list? Let us know in the comments!
1. Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick (Basel, 2002)
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Many years ago, Roger Federer played against Andy Roddick at his home event in Basel. He was always very motivated when he played there and created some particularly memorable magic in 2002.
Roddick opened with a strong serve, immediately rushing to the net to shorten the point as one does when your opponent is Federer. The American then played a few immaculate volleys, including one smash volley, which he thought ended the point.
Not for Federer though, who tracked the ball and slammed an overhead passing smash that curled in to make the cour. So good was the shot that it left Roddick baffled and made him jokingly throw his racquet towards Federer.
2. Gael Monfils vs Marton Fucsovics (Madrid, 2019)
In a similar vein, we saw some brilliance from Gael Monfils when he took on Marton Fucsovics in Madrid in 2019. Monfils rushed to the net to catch a drop shot after which Fucsovics played a lackluster lob.
The speedy Frenchman managed to track down the lob, then pulled off one of the greatest shots in tennis history. Instead of re-lobbing or even doing a tweeners, Monfils opted for an outrageous shot attempt, which he ended up hitting.
What ensued was a kind of jumping-reverse-forehand with his back to the net that ended up hitting the court, leaving the Spanish crowd in a frenzy. It’s mind-blowing and quite possibly the single greatest shot ever.
3. Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka (ATP Finals, 2013)
Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka played some utterly amazing matches including several Grand Slam finals. In this match, however, Djokovic proved to be a thorn in Wawrinka’s side as he hit an incredible forehand passing shot from a position that defied gravity.
No point encapsulates Djokovic’s career better than this one and we have to list it as one of the best tennis shots ever. The Serbian was off balance, sliding awkwardly, and still somehow managed to lift the ball over the net at an incredible angle. Wawrinka couldn’t do anything but applaud the shot, which demonstrated the synthesis that has helped Djokovic dominate for as long as he did.
4. Pete Sampras vs Gustavo Kuerten (Hannover, 1999)
Pete Sampras hit many incredible shots in his career as this was a player whose record of Grand Slam wins seemed impossible to break until the Big Three arrived. Arguably one of the best is the one-handed backhand he hit in 1999 against Guga Kuerten. This shot is impossible in so many ways, from the way he plays it to the way it landed in the court.
It’s a one-handed shot as he played a one-handed backhand, but he flipped it so nicely that it just landed in a straight line on the line. It’s an incredible shot as he was turned with his back and couldn’t even see the court. Just impossible by all manner of physics, but it landed, and that’s why it’s on the list.
5. Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic (Madrid, 2011)
This shot is just incredible for so many different reasons. First of all, it was a massive rally between two spectacular players who hit some incredible shots even before Rafael Nadal hit this crazy shot. Djokovic’s lob before Nadal’s lob was perfect, essentially, which is why Nadal was forced to play a trick-shot lob.
He hit it so nicely that Djokovic couldn’t do anything else. The angle on it was perfect, and it landed right near the line, leaving Djokovic no chance of even getting to it, which is why he didn’t even attempt it. Setting up breakpoints for Nadal made it only better.
6. Lleyton Hewitt vs Roger Federer (Indian Wells, 2005)
This might be the best rally of all time, though that is obviously subjective. Both of them played it perfectly with some amazing shots in between the final blow by Lleyton Hewitt, which was a shot volley on the net.
Both of them saved some incredible stuff before that, so the whole rally is essentially what makes it special. It’s not one single shot because there were many, and it shows both peak Hewitt and peak Federer at their best.
7. Pablo Cuevas vs Alexander Zverev (Madrid, 2017)
Pablo Cuevas – a pretty good clay player – was at his peak, and he showed that with this shot. It’s obviously a bit of luck, but when a player hits a shot like this, it has to be admired simply for the daring nature of attempting it. After a lob by Zverev, Cuevas ran for the ball but found himself in a position that was impossible.
The only thing he could do was try to flick his wrist backward and hit a one-handed shot, and that’s what he did. He did it actually perfectly, and it landed in the court, leaving both the crowd and Zverev stunned as to what happened. The slow-motion replay is even more insane because it shows how perfectly he timed that almost impossible flick.
8. Andy Roddick vs Milos Raonic (Memphis, 2011)
Roddick often gets overlooked when great players are mentioned, but he was a spectacular tennis player at his peak. His peak wasn’t in 2011, but he showed what he was all about, much hard work turning the talent that he had into something shiny.
He got into the best tennis shots list, when he was playing against Milos Raonic and had a match point and literally put his body on the line diving for a shot, which he hit perfectly to finish off the match against a player who is quite long and not easy to pass on the net.
9. Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman (Monte-Carlo, 2022)
Another dive on this list is the making of Tsitsipas, who dove against Diego Schwartzman at the Monte Carlo Masters. It was not spectacular because it was a dive, but the amount of touch you needed to hit it with.
Tsitsipas demonstrated impossible control of the racquet while basically falling down, so the ball not only landed on the other side of the court but far too short for Schwartzman to play it. Impossible to do.
10. Carlos Alcaraz vs Rafael Nadal (Madrid, 2023)
This one is mostly here because of the significance of the moment. It was the first time Alcaraz beat Nadal on the tennis court in a proper passing-the-torch moment, and it was in Madrid, with Alcaraz winning an impossible rally to seal the win.
Everything in this rally defies logic and physics, so enjoy it and know that this was the moment when a star was born. One who will be in the sport for many years to come.
