Aesthetic Tennis

Aesthetic Tennis

As Wimbledon builds towards its climax, the question on everyone’s mind is “Who is the most aesthetic player in the world?” We all have our views, some more informed and sensitive than others. I will wade into these shark-infested waters, in which one’s credibility is totally on the line. Like, totally. I think we can all agree—I should hope so—that Wimbledon is the most aesthetic tournament, distantly followed by Roland Garros, with the Australian and American Open trailing far behind. The English do some things right (not many, perhaps, but some). But which player wins the Aesthetic Open? I don’t just mean among today’s active players but of all time. Some will certainly anoint Roger Federer and one can see why: his elegance, lightness, polish, poise. Roger was a joy to behold, despite his somewhat fragile backhand (vide Rafael Nadal). Nadal himself had a certain bullish beauty, with his grunts and topspin and shapely legs (I have seen them close to). I wouldn’t dismiss Nadal as among the top beauties of the game. Djokovic also has a strong claim among his devotees (I am among them): his is the beauty of the well-oiled machine, the BMW of the tennis world. Andy Murray? Well, he has the rugged elegance of a Scottish racing horse (if there is such a thing)—big, sturdy, solid as a rock, a bit temperamental. But none of these worthy works of art come close to the player I would anoint—and you know who I am talking about. Carlos Alcaraz of course! He is by far the best player to watch in the history of the game, is he not? The feet, the hands, the speed, the ball control. The brutal bullet of the backhand, so accurate, so stinging; the sudden explosion of the forehand as it leaves the opponent gasping; the delicate devastating drop shot, carving languidly through the air. For Alcaraz the ball is his paintbrush, the racket his violin bow. Every rally is a work of art; when he misses you feel deprived, disappointed. I particularly admire the foot work on his two-handed backhand—so perfectly placed, balanced, alive. He doesn’t hit, he sculpts; he drills it, or knifes it, wherever his heart desires. Now Jannik Sinner is a fantastic player, also aesthetically formidable: he has complete consistency, total control, phenomenal foot speed. I would respect the opinion of anyone who pronounced him the world’s aesthetic Number One: he is like a gazelle in flight equipped with a devastating right hook. He is clearly a great art-work of the tennis court. But he doesn’t quite have Alcaraz’s breathtaking flair; he doesn’t surprise like Alcaraz. Alcaraz loves to create; Sinner likes to get the ball in. As one beaten player remarked, “Sinner is like a wall who hits every ball back at 100mph”. Alcaraz is like an elastic medium that treats the ball (and his opponent) as a plaything—he decides what he is going to do with it. He alters the laws of tennis ball motion. This is why his play is described as magical not mechanical. Sure, he takes risks, but he often defies the laws of nature. He serves with calm confidence, so you don’t feel nervous on his service games; he isn’t going to get the wobbles. He enjoys the spectacle as well as the win. He is clearly the most popular tennis player in the world to watch—he is a happening, in the Sixties sense. You want him to win and he obliges; you want beauty to emerge victorious. In addition, he is a spectacularly nice guy, always smiling, never angry. He is only twenty-two and already master of the art of tennis. So, in my opinion, with my credibility on the line, I submit Carlos Alcaraz as my choice of the most aesthetically pleasing tennis player of all time.[1]

[1] I have said nothing of the women’s game: am I then a tennis aesthetic sexist? Mmm, no. I have my views here too, and they are not heterodox. I nominate Iga Swiatek as the best aesthetically, because of her foot speed and ball control; but I want to put in a special mention for Emma Raducanu for her general elegance and variety. I do have to admit that for me the men are more beautiful than the women in tennis, beautiful as the latter undoubtedly are.