The fact is that tennis players can be right-handed and left-handed. Yet, the vast majority of tennis players today and in the past are right-handed. Of course, this doesn’t mean that there are no great left-handed players. On the contrary, the list of successful tennis players who use or have used their left hand while playing is very long. In this article we will highlight a few of these successful tennis players and show you that being left-handed is not a disadvantage.
John McEnroe
According to many experts, John McEnroe was the most effective tennis player in the 1970s. If you don’t believe their words, just check his record – he won 7 Grand Slam titles in this period. It turns out that his left backhand was extremely powerful and contributed to many of his wins. Of course, his left-handedness was not very noticeable thanks to McEnroe’s unusual temper. Namely, he was involved in many arguments with judges during important games. The incidents he caused led to a few suspensions. In any case, he is a good example of a successful left-handed player.
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is the world’s best player at the moment. He is 30 years old which means that he can still make new records. He has won over a dozen of Grand slams. His matches against Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are extremely interesting and viewed by thousands of people. This left-handed tennis player is especially efficient on clay tennis courts. He has won over 170 matches on this type of courts in the last 12 years. Thanks to his unique play and interesting character, Rafael Nadal has become a role model for many aspiring athletes. We will have to wait and see whether Rafael will be able to break more records in the future. The online casinos are offering very low odds for his success which is quite natural because Rafael Nadal is playing remarkably well.
Rodney Laver
Rodney Laver, also known as Fishing Rod Laver, Is an ex tennis player from Australia. Many people, especially young people, have probably not heard about him, but he is a true tennis legend. Back in the days, he won many Slam titles and achieved victories in many tournaments including Australian Open, Wimbledon, French Open, and US Open. So, he was an amazing player, but due to the fact that these achievements were accomplished in the 1950s and 1960s, most people have never heard of him. What’s even more interesting is that he played almost equally well on hardcourt, clay and grass tennis courts.
Martina Navratilova
There are many successful female tennis players too like Monica Seles, Venus and Serena Williams etc. Yet, when it comes to left-handed female tennis players, it’s Martina Navratilova that deserves to be listed as an extraordinary player. Navratilova is both US and Czech tennis player. There are many people who are focused on this sport who claim that she was the best female player of all time. Of course, when we take a look at her achievements we can see why. Martina Navratilova has an impressive record which includes ten Grand Slam mixed doubles game victories, 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 31 Slam doubles game titles. It’s definitely difficult to break a record like this.
Jimmy Connors
One of the most famous tennis players from the United States was also a left-handed player. Jimmy Connors has a record which includes 15 Slam title matches with over 50% success (he won 8 of them). What many people remember are the epic matches between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. They have different characters – Jimmy was very calm while John was hot-headed which led to some spectacular scenes in their matches.
Henri Leconte
Henri Leconte was not as successful as the other players found on this list, but this left-handed tennis player was extremely talented. He has a powerful shot and exceptional movements. His constant pursuit to show something innovative on the court has cost him a lot during some matches. He had only one Grand Slam win – Roland Garros in doubles.
Goran Ivanisevic
The former Croatian tennis player has used his left hand to win almost 600 matches in his career. Goran’s greatest success was winning the Wimbledon tournament. It’s interesting that he played in this tournament as a wild card.
