These are words from Ken Rosewall in a recent interview, where he also assesses the changes that the grass tour has undergone compared to his era.
Ken Rosewall will turn 90 next November, and truthfully, it hurts to think that a legend of his caliber may be entering the last decade of his legendary existence. Winner of 8 Grand Slams in the Open Era, he holds several longevity records on the circuit, although one escaped him: the Calendar Grand Slam. Despite playing four finals at Wimbledon, the Australian never managed to complete the grand slam, but still retains the drive to give interviews and talk about these topics. In a conversation with Italian Tennis, Muscles reflects on tennis from his era compared to the current era.
Playing on Grass in 2024
“The truth is, I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I’ve played on this surface or even here at Wimbledon (smiles), so I don’t know much about the conditions today. Grass court tennis has always been very interesting to me, even more so than on other surfaces, although sometimes you need a bit of luck due to the bounces. What has really changed are the materials more than the surfaces. Grass is slippery at the beginning, especially in the first days of tournaments, but nowadays players have specific shoes for grass courts. In my time, we used the same shoes on all surfaces.”
The Rivalry of the Future
I’m truly impressed with Jannik Sinner; he seems like a true athlete, very strong in all aspects of his game. He moves so well for his height, although it’s probably because other sports achieved that earlier. For me, he’s perfect for tennis. The rivalry he has with Carlos Alcaraz is very nice. Carlos has also improved a lot in the last two years; winning Wimbledon and Roland Garros shows how well his game adapts because American hard courts and London grass are very different. I see him with a very winning attitude, it’s a pleasure to watch him.”
Then and Now
“Nicola Pietrangeli was a great player; he won Roland Garros twice because clay was his favorite surface, but he was also good on others. Comparing him to Sinner is like comparing Rod Laver to Roger Federer; it’s impossible to compare, they are different eras. Today’s tennis players benefit a lot from the advancements in materials, some show it more than others, but there are also those who prefer the old style.”
Crisis of the One-Handed Backhand
“These days we see some beautiful one-handed backhands, but unfortunately, it’s not as common a stroke as in my time. Nowadays, extreme grips with a lot of topspin are used, causing the ball to bounce very high, which makes it very difficult for players with a one-handed backhand to defend. I remember some players before World War II who were ambidextrous; that’s something we won’t see again.”
