Volleying is among the trickiest skills in tennis, with only a handful of players having truly mastered the art.
Many ATP and WTA players attempted to win points via volleying at the French Open, which has just concluded in Paris.
Iga Swiatek congratulated Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz after the Grand Slam, with the players having won the women’s and men’s singles titles respectively.
Alexander Zverev was among the French Open disappointments, but the ATP and WTA calendars have already moved on from the Grand Slam.
Queen’s is underway on the latter, with the former having turned to both the Boss Open and Libema Open.
Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images for LTAAndre Agassi shares what it was like playing against Jimmy Connors
During the French Open, however, a discussion on volleying was held between legendary figures Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi.
And it started when Agassi was tasked with sharing his verdict on one former rival of his in Jimmy Connors.
Photo by Gilbert Iundt/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
He said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast: “When I looked at him as an 18-year-old, I saw somebody I recognised in the sense that he always had his team around him.
“He always seemed like he had this appropriate… how would I call it, appropriate paranoia about him? He didn’t trust anybody that wasn’t on his team, but he trusted his team immensely, there’s something I identified with that.
“What he did for the game was incredible. Jimmy surprised the hell out of me when I played him by his ability… it would have been later on [in his career], although years later he still got to the semis in the Open, pretty incredible.
“I was really amazed at Jimmy’s ability to take pace and use it against you, right? So if I hit a hard ball to his backhand, he would maybe stay with one cross to my forehand, then I hit it hard again to his backhand, and then he would take a two-handed early inside-out shovel, like a two-handed side spin shot like line, and he would come in.
“He was only like five nine, but man he only came in on his terms. And when he came in… talk about a guy that never missed a volley. He made sure. He turned his racket into a sand wedge.”
Andy Roddick names the three greatest volleyers he’s ever seen
Choosing to focus on that skill in particular, Roddick interjected with the question: “Do you think we have this thing in tennis where if someone’s a baseliner, that means we don’t give them credit for the volley?
“Because three of the best volleyers I’ve ever seen are… watched Connors, [Lleyton] Hewitt and Rafa [Nadal].
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images for ITF
A relieved Agassi said: “Thank you for saying Rafa. Completely,” with Roddick continuing: “But we’re so lazy if they’re a baseliner that means… just because they don’t come in a lot doesn’t mean they’re not golden when they get there.”
Agassi then concluded: “You know what I would have loved to have seen? I would have loved to have seen Rafa play a match where he had to come in 68 times. Just to watch what he could come up with to set that record straight.”
ATP Tour title leaders
Nadal’s superb volleying helped him endure record-breaking success at the French Open, a tournament he won 14 times.
His compatriot Alcaraz is now doing his utmost to continue Spanish dominance at the Grand Slam, having now won the last two titles in Paris.