Full Breakdown
One-Handed Backhand Streak Ends at the US Open as Ben Shelton Defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas
9/7/2026, 12:41:59 PM
Core Event: Shelton Upsets Tsitsipas, Ending Decades-Long Streak
On September 6, eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton defeated unseeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the US Open in New York. The win eliminated the last player in the men’s draw wielding a one-handed backhand, ending a continuous run of at least one such player reaching a Grand Slam semi-final that had persisted since the first Wimbledon in 1877.
Background & Context
The one-handed backhand, once the dominant stroke, has gradually been supplanted by the two-handed version in the modern power era. Notable recent exponents include Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, and Dominic Thiem. Historically, at least one one-hander had advanced to a Grand Slam semi-final every year for more than a century, a lineage that began with John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl in the 1980s and continued through Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg and Gustavo Kuerten in the 1990s.
Data & Statistics
- Streak length: Sources cite a 149-year run and a 150-year run.
- One-handers in the 2026 US Open draw: Only eight of the 128 men used the stroke; seven were eliminated before the round of 16.
- Top-20 representation: Lorenzo Musetti, the sole one-hander seeded inside the top 20 (No. 13), lost in the second round.
- Historical semi-finalists: The last one-handed backhand to win a major was Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open; Federer’s final semi-final with the shot came at the 2018 Australian Open.
Official Statements & Responses
Stefanos Tsitsipas reflected on the decline of the shot after his loss:
- “I took a look, in the 1950s I think 97% or 98% of players were playing one-handed backhands,” — Stefanos Tsitsipas
- “I’m a player that requires control in my game,” — Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas also noted that the modern game has narrowed to a single dominant style, reducing the variety of strokes that once defined tennis.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Streak duration: Reuters describes a 149-year streak, while SportBible references a 150-year streak. Both agree the streak began with the inaugural Wimbledon in 1877, but the exact count differs by one year.
- Number of active one-handers: TennisMajors lists 16 one-handed players in the top 224, whereas other outlets focus only on the eight present in the US Open draw. The precise total of active one-handed backhanders on the ATP Tour remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I took a look, in the 1950s I think 97% or 98% of players were playing one-handed backhands,” — Stefanos Tsitsipas
- “I’m a player that requires control in my game,” — Stefanos Tsitsipas
What’s Next
With Tsitsipas eliminated, the one-handed backhand has no representative remaining in the 2026 US Open men’s draw. The next opportunity for the stroke to reappear in a Grand Slam semi-final will be the 2027 season, where players such as Lorenzo Musetti or emerging talents may attempt to revive the tradition.
