Jannik Sinner's backhand
Traced frame by frame from real footage.
Sinner's two-handed backhand is the fastest and one of the heaviest on tour. In 2024 it averaged 73 mph against 66 mph and 2,235 rpm against 1,977, and it was the top backhand by Hawk-Eye's shot-quality score. He sets up with small steps and a low backswing.
- 1Seen from behind, the backswing stays low, with the racquet head below the hands as he turns.
- 2He steps forward into the ball, and contact comes in front of the front hip.
- 3Both hands drive out toward the target before the racquet finishes high over the right shoulder.
Our own observations from the traced frames. Flip through the plate above to check them.
By the numbers
2024: 73 mph average against 66 mph, 2,235 rpm against 1,977, and backhand shot quality 8.48, first on tour.
ATP / Tennis Data Innovations, 2024 insightsOver the three years to October 2024, Sinner held the three fastest average backhands in the top 10 by surface: 75 mph on clay, 73 outdoors on hard, 73 indoors. The top-10 average was 68 mph.
ATP, Infosys Beyond the Numbers, Oct 2024Technique: many small adjusting steps, then a step forward to contact, with a low backswing that gets the body behind the ball.
Craig O'Shannessy, ATP Brain Game, Mar 2024
Miami 2024 final
Against Dimitrov, Sinner made zero backhand groundstroke unforced errors. In the second set he put all 34 of his backhands in, and he won the first set and the match with backhand winners down the line. He won 6–3 6–1.
Craig O'Shannessy, ATP Brain GameWhat you can copy
The small adjusting steps are the copyable part: they're what lets the swing stay the same every time.
Our reading of O'Shannessy's description