In defense of Fritz and Medvedev, do their shortcomings moving forward reveal the logic of an instructional and competitive ecosystem that often neglects building volley skills and a broad sense of the court?
The implications for player development here are significant. For all the hours devoted to groundstrokes, fitness, and focus, parents, coaches, and instructors have an upside: build the most versatile player possible (examples: Alcaraz, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda). It’s encouraging, for example, to hear about junior doubles tournaments where the players must serve and volley.
Does the player need to become another Patrick Rafter or Stefan Edberg? No. But surely, player development should devote significant attention to long-term breadth over short-term victories.
