US Open star fails to preserve 150-year tennis streak but 'it's not the end of the world'

After 150 years, a streak concerning one of tennis’ most iconic shots has come to an end.

Since the inaugural Wimbledon tournament in 1877, at least one man utilizing a one-handed backhand has reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles event every single year. However, as no single-hander player reached the last four at the Australian Open, French Open, or Wimbledon, the historic record rested entirely on the shoulders of Stefanos Tsitsipas at the US Open.

On Sunday, the Greek star took on Ben Shelton for a place in the quarterfinals. Tsitsipas was brushed aside by the boisterous American, falling 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 to end his hopes of a first major title and bring an end to the 150-year legacy of the one-handed backhand. Meanwhile, Shelton will face Carlos Alcaraz, who was surprised to learn of his bracket.

Tsitsipas was the last remaining player in the US Open who the shot, so the record ends with him. He was well aware of the burden going into the clash with Shelton, taking to social media to post: “I’ve got a 150-year streak to save.”

Following his exit at the hands of Shelton, Tsitsipas was asked about the streak and his feelings toward the shot. The Greek came prepared, outlining how the one-handed backhand is being phased out of the game.

“It's not me having feelings. I think it's a fact. I'm stating the obvious,” Tsitsipas began. “If you compare to the 1950s or 1960s, you see a massive decline on the one-handed backhand. I think I took a look, the 1950s, I think 97 percent or 98 percent of players were playing one-handed backhand. It's literally like 2 percent now, the 3 percent. So it has reverted the other way around of what it used to be.

“Look, tennis will always be tennis. Regardless of whether there are single-handers out there or double, it doesn't really matter. If the tour is dominated by double-handed backhands, it doesn't really matter. It's just that I feel it's such a traditional classic shot, that it's such a shame to lose a shot like that.

“Is there something you can do about it? I guess yes. Is it the end of the world if no one plays a one-handed backhand? No. Tennis still goes on the way it is.”

When asked if the loss of the shot is “sad,” Tsitsipas added: “I feel like tennis used to have a lot of personalities, a lot of different personalities back in the day. We still have personalities, like even the young guys today. They differ from each other, they have their own style, they have their own way of hitting the ball.

“I feel like tennis used to be played with so many different variations of style, and that variation of style has narrowed to one particular style these days where everyone is kind of playing the same.

“You know, courts have become slower. Everyone is revolving around kind of the same game.

“You don't see many personalities on the court in regards of we used to have the serve-and-volley players back in the day. We used to have those that used to play a specific different way, counter-punchers, defenders.

“Now it's narrowed to one style of game. I think that's what makes tennis so interesting and what used to make it so interesting is because you had those that played a specific way and others that played another way.

“It's kind of the same with the one-handed backhand. Very similar.”