📖 Story of the Week
Popular opinion shapes how most players approach a game. This herd mentality can create opportunities for anyone willing to find a less common — yet equally or more effective — approach. Contrarian players take this road less traveled, deliberately moving away from the mainstream in favor of something that works better for them.
A striking example comes from basketball legend Rick Barry, one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and the only player ever to lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in year-end scoring titles.
Barry was also famous for holding the all-time record for career free throw percentage at the time — an astonishing 90%. The twist? He shot underhand free throws — the so-called “granny shot.”
Despite today’s NBA being full of players who struggle at the line, few are willing to try Barry’s method because it’s considered “wrong.” Barry ignored the stigma, choosing a technique that worked better for him — and that’s the heart of being contrarian.
🧐 Contrarian Tennis Players
The history of tennis is full of contrarian thinkers.
When the men’s game was dominated by serve-and-volley play, Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Andre Agassi found success by embracing a baseline-focused, horizontal style.
When Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were crushing opponents with forehands, Novak Djokovic built his game around his backhand — now one of the most feared shots in tennis.
In the 2016 US Open final, Stan Wawrinka used his world-class one-handed backhand to defeat Djokovic. Learning the one-hander itself can be considered a contrarian move, as most players today are taught the more common two-handed backhand. Ironically, there was a time when the two-hander was the contrarian shot before players like Chris Evert, Connors, and Borg made it mainstream.
Another Federer example: in 2017, he skipped the entire clay season to protect his body and refresh his mind. Critics questioned the decision, but Federer returned to dominate, finishing 52–5, winning seven titles, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
💪 Becoming Contrarian
Contrarian players:
- View the game differently.
- Train in environments that build mental and emotional toughness (see my piece on Developing the Anti-Fragile Player).
- Trust their process even when it goes against popular opinion.
Most modern competitive players build their games from the baseline, rely heavily on the forehand, and pair it with a strong serve (men) or strong return (women).
If that’s the norm, a contrarian approach might involve:
- A vertical style of play built on first-strike tennis.
- Taking the ball early and aggressively.
- Becoming elite at net play.
Given that most USTA sectional and national events are held on fast hard courts — conditions that favor aggression — this less common approach could give you a powerful edge.
🎾 Match Point
In today’s tennis world, the margins are small. Developing a contrarian skill set can be one way to tip the balance in your favor.
Being contrarian doesn’t mean being reckless — it means spending your time and energy developing effective skills and tactics that most opponents ignore because they aren’t trendy.
Take the road less traveled, and you’ll not only surprise your competition — you might just change the game in your favor.
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