The 2026 US Open and a historic threat to the one-handed backhand
The longest-running fact in the history of tennis is related to the one-handed backhand, which has remained uninterrupted since 1877, and it seems difficult for the streak not to end in 2026.
Yes, you read that right. One of the longest and most incredible historical streaks in the world of sports is seriously threatened. It consists of the fact that, ever since the four Grand Slam tournaments began in 1877, there has been at least one semifinalist with a one-handed backhand every year. If the US Open 2026 does not resolve this, that dynamic will be broken this year.
This statistic comes from the renowned tennis specialist Twitter user Bastian Fachan, who highlights a reality ignored by many and that only reaffirms the serious threat of extinction facing this shot. Only 6 players from the current top-100 hit the one-handed backhand, a shot that captivates everyone due to its aesthetics and fluidity, and which has been a fundamental part of the history of tennis.
The oldest streak in tennis history could end at the US Open:
Ever since the first Slam (Wimbledon 1877), a man with a one-handed backhand has reached the semifinals of a Slam every single year…
…except not yet in 2026.
So it's up to the players below, or the streak is over. pic.twitter.com/bEjFsqfZSI— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 11, 2026
The US Open 2026 could mean the end of a streak that has lasted since 1877
Although this dynamic of the decreasing influence of the one-handed backhand has been observed for some time and painful milestones have already been reached, such as on February 18, 2024, when there was the first top-10 player in the ATP ranking without players wielding a one-handed backhand, the truth is that if the absence of Grand Slam semifinalists persists for a whole year, we would reach a point of no return that would trigger all alarms.
Tsitsipas, Shapovalov, and Musetti have upheld this record recently, but the declining level of the first two and the physical issues of the Italian have made it really complicated to see any player with a one-handed backhand in the semifinals of the US Open 2026 right now. The Italian is precisely the great hope, being the only player with this shot who will start as a seed in Flushing Meadows.
Who are the great hopes for the one-handed backhand in the US Open 2026?
A miracle from Grigor Dimitrov or an unexpected resurgence from Denis Shapovalov or Stefanos Tsitsipas are among the arguments that the more optimistic fans are considering to believe in the continuity of this streak.
Regardless of whether the US Open 2026 marks the end of something as historic and enduring as this, what is clear is that the one-handed backhand is seriously threatened by the evolution of tennis.
The enormous speed at which the game is played and the power of the shots make the two-handed backhand much more practical, although there is hope that young, contracultural tennis players will continue to perceive the advantages of the one-handed backhand, even in this difficult time for that artistic shot.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El US Open 2026 y una amenaza histórica al revés a una mano