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Mikhail Youzhny
Born: June 25, 1982 in Moscow (Moscow Oblast in Soviet Union)
Михаил Михайлович Южный – a son of Mikhail, who served as a Soviet army colonel, carried the military tradition throughout his career, famously saluting after victories while using his “Head” racquet as a makeshift cap. Like a soldier, he consistently sported a short haircut, yet his playing style evolved significantly over the years. Early in his professional career, his backhand bore a striking resemblance to those of Björn Borg and Andrea Gaudenzi, with a two-handed swing. However, unlike Borg and Gaudenzi, who released their left hand at the moment of contact, Youzhny let go just before hitting the ball, giving his backhand a unique touch. Regular use of the slice backhand also facilitated the development of a more natural one-handed backhand over time.
Career record: 499–416 [ 418 events ]
John Isner
Born: April 26, 1985 in Greensboro (North Carolina)
Height: 2.08 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
John Isner and Ivo Karlović (211 cm) hold a unique place in tennis history. While there were exceptional servers in the 80s, 90s, and 00s, these two towering giants introduced something entirely new to the game in the 2010s. Though both had established themselves as ATP tour players a decade earlier (Karlović in 2003, Isner in 2007), their presence on the court evolved into something almost unprecedented – a type of “tennis without tennis.” Matches against them often felt like a distinct sport where the outcome hinged on a handful of points. They racked up countless aces, engaged in innumerable tie-breaks, and frequently played marathon fifth sets. Isner, in particular, shattered previous records with his extraordinary battle against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon 2010.
Isner’s remarkable capabilities were on display as early as his second main-level event in Washington, 2007. He reached the final by winning five consecutive matches in deciding third-set tie-breaks – a feat that was unparalleled in tennis history. Unlike Roger Federer, who had won three straight deciding tie-breaks in 2005 across two tournaments, Isner accomplished his streak over five consecutive days on the same courts! This led many to believe that he was one of the most mentally resilient players ever. While his results from the Challenger circuit and college years painted a more nuanced picture, that week in Washington, Isner’s excessive luck defied probability. Among the five players he defeated in those tie-breaks were notable names like Tim Henman, Tommy Haas, and Gaël Monfils.
Sixteen years later, Isner retired from professional tennis. Looking back, he should feel fulfilled, having achieved far more than Karlović, who was six years his senior and possessed a similar skill set. Isner’s crowning achievement came at the 2018 Miami Open, where he claimed his biggest title after reaching three previous Masters 1000 finals (Indian Wells 2012, Cincinnati 2013, and Paris 2016). Surprisingly, he won Miami with minimal reliance on tie-breaks, breaking his opponents several times throughout the tournament. Among those he defeated were top-tier players and fellow giants, though considerably shorter than himself, like Marin Čilić, Juan Martín del Potro, and Alexander Zverev.
Throughout his career, Isner was consistently reliant on tie-breaks and extended fifth sets at major tournaments. He holds the unfortunate record for losing the most matches after holding match points (33 losses, compared to Karlović’s 22). Contrary to popular belief that such losses indicate a lack of mental toughness, Isner was anything but mentally fragile. The term “choke” doesn’t fit him. Like any seasoned player, he had matches that slipped through his fingers, but these were often due to his weaker backhand and limited movement rather than a mental collapse. No matter how skilled or confident his opponents were on any given day, they always knew what to expect against Isner – a moment in the second or third decisive set when he might face the only break(match) point, with their fate hinging on exploiting Isner’s backhand (if he had missed his first serve), forcing him to move quickly along the baseline. Beating Isner ‘7-6, 6-4’ or losing to him ‘7-6, 6-7, 4-6’ very often depended on the efficacy of his first serve at a critical juncture, regardless of how he felt the ball when hitting it from the back of the court. Tomáš Berdych was an intriguing exception, consistently breaking Isner’s serve. My explanation is that the tall Czech’s ability to hit the ball effectively at shoulder height with his backhand neutralized Isner’s kick serves, which typically troubled other opponents. Berdych was less productive returning Karlović’s serve though.
Isner was a more well-rounded player than Karlović. While the Croatian relied heavily on his serve-and-volley game, often slicing his backhands and waiting for a slower ball to attack with his forehand, Isner employed a more “one-two punch” strategy as a server, mixing up the serve speed (second serve faster than the first one, Karlović was never doing that), at times sneaking to the net behind kick-second serves. As a returner, he tended to wait until the final stages of sets to press, at which point he was much more effective than Karlović in retrieving balls. Isner even led Rafael Nadal 2-1 in sets at the 2011 French Open, a testament to his adaptability and resilience. Excluding the Laver Cup, which I don’t consider a main-level event, Nadal is the only great player born in the 1980s that Isner never defeated. Over the years, Andy Murray seemed to be Isner’s toughest opponent, but the American finally got the better of him in their ninth meeting at Wimbledon 2022, when Murray, playing with a metal hip, was far from the agile defender who had previously bested Isner at crucial moments.
With his booming serve, Isner always had the potential to reach a major final at Wimbledon or the US Open, where the electric crowd energized him. However, New York typically saw him exit in the third round, while London witnessed his deepest run in 2018 when he reached the semifinal before losing an epic match to his old college rival, Kevin Anderson. That match played a significant role in Wimbledon’s decision to introduce a tie-break in the fifth set starting in 2019.
Now that both Isner and Karlović have retired (both played their last matches at the US Open, the Croat two years earlier), Reilly Opelka (211 cm) remains the lone tennis player with the height more typical of a volleyball or basketball player. While Opelka’s movement & backhand appear better than Isner’s, and his tactical approach mirrors the latter’s, he lacks Isner’s commitment and passion. In Dallas 2022, Opelka and Isner co-created a new record for the longest tie-break. They played six times against each other: 17 sets, 14 tie-breaks (10-4 Opelka) – it explains there’s nothing special that these two US giants overcame Björn Borg‘s “eternal” record.
Career record: 489-317 [ 308 events ]
Career titles: 16
Highest ranking: No. 8
Best GS results:
Wimbledon (semifinal 2018)
US Open (quarterfinal 2011, 18)
Guillermo Cañas
Born: November 25, 1977 in Buenos Aires
Height: 1.85 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Guillermo Ignacio Cañas first picked up a tennis racquet at the age of 7, inspired by the legendary Argentinian player and his namesake, Guillermo Vilas. Although sharing a similar name didn’t propel Cañas to mirror Vilas’ achievements, he is still regarded as one of the finest Argentine players born in the 1970s, perhaps even the best. Known for his powerful physique, remarkable agility, and relentless “never-say-die” attitude, Cañas had an unbelievable ability to win points in seemingly lost situations (splits in defence), a skill unmatched before Rafael Nadal emerged. A versatile competitor, Cañas was the first Spanish native speaker in the 21st Century to reach finals on all primary surfaces: outdoors (clay, grass, hard) and indoors (hard) – and he did it in just seven months between June ’01 and January ’02. The year 2001 it was the first one when grass slowed down, certainly helping players of Cañas’ type.
His most memorable moment came in July 2002 when he claimed the title in Toronto. In retrospect, his path to the championship was nothing short of extraordinary. Cañas defeated Roger Federer (1), Paradorn Srichaphan (9), Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1), Marat Safin (1), Tommy Haas (2), and Andy Roddick (1) in succession. The numbers in parentheses denote each player’s career-high ranking (before or after that event), making his feat all the more remarkable. “Day by day, I felt more confident in my game,” said the 24-year-old Cañas, then ranked 19th. “It’s incredible to feel like you can beat anyone on the tour. Maybe I surprised myself. I knew I had the potential, but I had never executed it like this. To beat five top-10 players in one tournament feels amazing.” Cañas waited five years to contest another Masters 1000 final, which came after his return from a two-year suspension for testing positive for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. His ban was eventually reduced to a year, but by that time, the Argentine had lost his career-best ranking, vanishing from the list of active surnames. This marked his third extended break from the sport, with the first two in 2000 and 2003 resulting from persistent wrist injuries. Despite these setbacks, Cañas climbed back into the Top 100 within just seven months, largely thanks to his success in Challengers (five titles). He then enjoyed an ATP resurgence, defeating five Top 20 players in Miami before being schooled by ten years younger Novak Đoković in the final.
Given his ability to challenge the game’s elite across all surfaces and for his extraordinary fighting spirit, perseverance (only he and Nicolás Massú were regularly involved in three-hour Bo3 battles at the beginning of 00s), Cañas seemed destined to reach a Grand Slam semifinal at least. However, despite coming close twice – in 2002 and 2005 – he fell just short on both occasions. In 2002, facing eventual champion Albert Costa, Cañas held a 2-1 set lead and was up *4:2 (30/15) in the fourth set, only to lose the next ten games in a heartbreaking defeat.
…Fun Facts about Cañas…
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Tim Henman‘s worst torture on the court. Even though the man from Buenos Aires lost their first encounter in Toronto ’98, holding a 6-3, 5:2* lead, he won their next six meetings, including two gruelling five-setters, clinching 7-5 (French Open ’01) and 9-7 (Aussie Open ’04) in the 5th sets as well as 7-6 in the deciding 3rd set (Vienna ’01)
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He was one of the toughest challengers for Lleyton Hewitt as the Australian ascended to the top of the tennis world. It’s quite rare for two players without dominant serves to engage in marathon tie-breaks against each other, yet this is precisely what transpired between Cañas and Hewitt. Remarkably, the Argentine triumphed in both instances, on clay: a 14/12 tie-break at Delray Beach ’99, where he saved six set points, and a 15/13 tie-break at the 2002 French Open, saving five set points along the way.
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In 2007, he stunned the tennis world by defeating Federer 7-5, 6-2 at Indian Wells, ending the Swiss maestro’s 41-match winning streak. Just two weeks later, Cañas triumphed again over Federer in Miami, this time after a dramatic encounter. “I don’t know the secret to beating him,” Cañas remarked. “I just fight for every point, and maybe that’s why I won. Playing great tennis against Federer – it’s like living a dream.”
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He holds the unique and somewhat dubious distinction of being the only player known to lose a match after leading two sets to love and 5:0! This nightmarish collapse occurred in his Davis Cup vital debut in 1999, where he fell to Venezuela’s Maurice Ruah 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 3-6 in Caracas, without holding a match point. Argentina still won the tie 4-1.