“All his talent could be manifested only in a speed of play” + “Today, a McEnroe could no longer exist!”
Sever Dron, 81, a well-known tennis coach based in Paris, who has worked over time with names such as Virginia Ruzici, Henri Leconte and Julie Halard, made several interesting remarks about the current generation in men's tennis, referring to the comparison – sometimes unequal, forced, unfair – between Sinner and Alcaraz, the titans of the present, and their predecessors.
A respected name in the industry and the author of elaborate works on tennis and the evolution of this sport, Sever Dron offered a complex answer when he was asked if the legends of the past would hold up against the impregnable Sinner and Alcaraz, the men who crushed the competition in the last two years.
Sever Dron believes that the constant evolution of tennis, game speeds and recovery methods make it almost impossible to accurately compare the eras, explaining, at the same time, why various characteristics of champions such as Laver, Nadal, Năstase or John McEnroe would no longer be valid today.
Below, a slalom between the generations, their characteristics and some conclusions offered by Sever Dron in the interview given to Gazeta Sporturilor.
Sever Dron, about tennis in a constant dynamic: “What would Năstase do today? All his talent could be manifested in a certain speed of play”
“It seems that Alcaraz and Sinner have reached a level as if from another planet, even if they are still on the planet of tennis. But they play faster than everyone else, they have more confidence. This is where tennis brought us!
We were always scared, that's what we said after the Djokovic-Federer-Nadal era (no – that tennis has no future), but look at them! These two came, as if I had forgotten the other three. Nadal had a very difficult game to imitate, he had his physique, he used his lift… I remember that Mr. Fetecău (No. Adrian Fetecău) did some research and said that Nadal's ball spins 3,000 times before it hits the opponent's court.
Today they don't play like that anymore, the elevator doesn't work anymore, it's too slow for today's tennis.
These questions come up all the time (no about the difference between generations). I ask you a question, what would happen if the Borg played against them (no Sinner and Alcaraz)? Or Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall…? Let's not forget that tennis has advanced a lot and in terms of materials, Borg had a wooden racket! And Borg tried to come back to play at a high level, but he didn't succeed”.
“Today, a McEnroe could no longer exist!”
With much meticulousness, an attribute that has accompanied him over the years, Sever Dron continued his introspection:
“I remember I was Leconte's coach, and in Monte Carlo Borg played Leconte in the first round. And Leconte outpaced Borg. He didn't have more technique, but he played faster. Now, what to do when the ball comes so fast? It's hard to say…
It's about comparing the eras in which they played tennis. Let's think what Năstase would do on the field today! All his talent could manifest itself in a certain speed of play, in certain angles. Today, there would be no way to give the ball back, they play too fast! And it is not known how far tennis will go.
They were dream matches when we watched Laver or Rosewell… How nice they managed to give the balls back. But it was all calculated, on a system you could play. Today, what can you do at the speeds at which it is played, when the ball comes so fast?!
Don't you see? Now we also have electronic arbitration, it's much harder. A McEnroe today could not exist! He expected it to be a dubious ball to argue with the umpire, because he played better when he was angry. The device should break down today…”, said Sever Dron, in an interview with Gazeta Sporturilor.
Sever Dron is a former Romanian tennis player and one of the longest serving domestic coaches, with a long career in both Romania and France. He was non-playing captain of Romania's Davis Cup team and also trained Romania's Fed Cup team. HERE, details about the life and career of Sever Dron.
Sever Dron was also non-playing captain of Romania's Fed Cup team
Alcaraz has a very big challenge ahead of him, he didn't make it past the quarters in Melbourne. Now he comes with other results behind him and a different game. Before, he played like a child, with short, with lobs, now he plays better from behind the court, he got used to fighting matches, and in tiebreaks he started to do better.
– Sever Dron, trainer
VIDEO. How tennis has changed over the years
