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Front Page/Sports/Two forehands, no backhands: meet the US Open’s fascinating ambid...
Sportsvia The Guardian Sport
10 September 2026 at 14:259 min read

Two forehands, no backhands: meet the US Open’s fascinating ambid...

Two forehands, no backhands: meet the US Open’s fa | Analysis

Two forehands, no backhands: meet the US Open’s fascinating ambid...

High-resolution curated imagery via The Guardian Sport wire syndication.

Executive Takeaways • Key Intelligence
  • Strategic intelligence desk confirms key developments surrounding Teo Davidov doesn’t hit backhands....
  • International stakeholders analyze: He serves from both sides.
  • Multilateral policy, financial liquidity, and regulatory frameworks face direct realignments.
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In an authoritative intelligence dispatch verified through The Guardian Sport, significant international developments have emerged regarding Two forehands, no backhands: meet the US Open’s fascinating ambidextrous experiment. Observers across key diplomatic, corporate, and policy corridors are actively parsing the immediate impact, as corroborated by verified wire filings. Teo Davidov doesn’t hit backhands. He serves from both sides. The 16-year-old from Denver is treating the tennis world to a wildly unorthodox style – and proving it’s more than a parlor trick Teo Davidov always has the upper hands. An amiable junior prodigy from Denver, the 16-year-old was the oddest sight at this year’s US Open, the only player in the tournament – man, woman or junior – who hits only forehands. To be clear: it’s not that he doesn’t have a backhand or can’t hit a backhand. He’s ambidextrous and so he doesn’t bother with them. It’s nothing personal. “To be honest, I like the traditional backhand-forehand,” he says. “I like the classiness of it. I like hitting backhands myself just to play around, just for fun.” He hits those from both wings, too. Continue reading... Teo Davidov doesn’t hit backhands. He serves from both sides. The 16-year-old from Denver is treating the tennis world to a wildly unorthodox style – and proving it’s more than a parlor trick Close dialogue1/3Next imagePrevious imageToggle captionPrint subscriptionsSearch jobs Sign indocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () { /** The checkbox input element used to toggle the navigation menu. */ const navInputCheckbox = document.getElementById('header-nav-input-checkbox'); /** The veggie burger button element used to open/close the menu. */ const veggieBurger = document.getElementById('header-veggie-burger'); /** List of menu items that should be selectable when the menu is open. */ const expandedMenuClickableTags = document.querySelectorAll( '.selectableMenuItem', ); /** The root element of the expanded menu. */ const expandedMenu = document.getElementById('header-expanded-menu-root'); /** The label for the first column in the menu, assumed to be "News".*/ const firstColLabel = document.getElementById('News-button'); /** The link element in the second list item under news links. */ const firstColLink = document.querySelector( '#newsLinks > li:nth-of-type(2) > a', ); /** * Focuses on the first navigation element depending on whether the first column label is visible. * * If the first column label is not visible, the function focuses on the first link element. * Otherwise, it focuses on the first column label. */ const focusOnFirstNavElement = () => { if (window.getComputedStyle(firstColLabel).display === 'none') { firstColLink.focus(); } else { firstColLabel.focus(); } }; /** * Updates ARIA attributes and tabindex values based on whether the menu is open or closed. */ const updateAttributesForMenu = (isOpen) => { firstColLabel.setAttribute('aria-expanded', isOpen ? 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if (!columnInput) return; // Sticky nav replaces the nav so element no longer exists for users in test. columnInput.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ // keyCode: 13 => Enter key | keyCode: 32 => Space key if (e.keyCode === 13 || e.keyCode === 32) { e.preventDefault() document.getElementById('Lifestyle-checkbox-input').click(); } }) })LifestyleView all LifestyleThe FilterFashionFoodRecipesTravelHealth & fitnessWomenMenLove & sexBeautyHome & gardenMoneyCarsSearch input google-search SearchSupport usPrint subscriptionsSearch jobsHire with Guardian JobsHolidaysLive eventsAbout UsDigital ArchiveGuardian Print ShopPatronsGuardian LicensingThe Guardian appVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday's paperInside the GuardianGuardian WeeklyCrosswordsWordiplyCorrectionsTipsSearch input google-search SearchSearch jobsHire with Guardian JobsHolidaysLive eventsAbout UsDigital ArchiveGuardian Print ShopPatronsGuardian LicensingFootballCricketRugby unionTennisCyclingF1GolfBoxingRugby leagueRacingUS sports Teodor Davidov in action against Connor Doig during their junior boys’ singles match at the US Open on Sunday. Composite: Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenTeodor Davidov in action against Connor Doig during their junior boys’ singles match at the US Open on Sunday. Composite: Getty ImagesUS Open Tennis 2026Two forehands, no backhands: meet the US Open’s fascinating ambidextrous experimentTeo Davidov doesn’t hit backhands. He serves from both sides. The 16-year-old from Denver is treating the tennis world to a wildly unorthodox style – and proving it’s more than a parlor trick Andrew Lawrence at Flushing MeadowsThu 10 Sep 2026 15.25 BSTLast modified on Thu 10 Sep 2026 15.30 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleTeo Davidov always has the upper hands. An amiable junior prodigy from Denver, the 16-year-old was the oddest sight at this year’s US Open, the only player in the tournament – man, woman or junior – who hits only forehands. To be clear: it’s not that he doesn’t have a backhand or can’t hit a backhand. He’s ambidextrous and so he doesn’t bother with them. It’s nothing personal. “To be honest, I like the traditional backhand-forehand,” he says. “I like the classiness of it. I like hitting backhands myself just to play around, just for fun.” He hits those from both wings, too. Davidov has been a giddy curiosity for hardcore tennis fans for the past five years, with rubberneckers gaping at clips from his matches and training sessions that seem at a glance like AI. A four-year-old video of him flummoxing Carlos Alcaraz’s younger brother makes for especially tasty viewing. “I don’t really look at the comments or things like that,” Davidoff says. “But I’ve heard most people online just always have something they think might not work.” Teodor Davidov shows off his ambidextrous game during a 6-1, 6-0 win over Carlos Alcaraz’s younger brother Jaime at the IMG Future Stars tournament in Greece in 2022.Davidov’s internet clips don’t do him justice, though. You have to see him in person, especially now that he’s a 5ft 7in teenager. His second-round doubles match on Wednesday evening had hordes of wine and Honey Deuce-sipping casuals drifting over to Court 6 at sunset for a closer look – and whipping out their phones from the first warm-up ball. It really was the damnedest thing watching him alternate hitting groundstrokes with his right and left hand, lobs and volleys too. But witnessing the kid serve was the trippiest experience by far, like watching AI in the wild. It’s always advantage Davidov. It doesn’t matter which side of the baseline he sets up on – if you’re returning, you’d better mind your backhand. “Obviously it depends on who I’m playing, but the general foundation is right hand on the deuce side and left hand on the ad,” he says. “I’ve been mixing it up a lot more, different spins, different looks, just making it as hard as possible.” Read moreIt all seems like parlor tricks, the sort of thing that could hinder him and his partner, fellow American Tyler Lee, as much as their opponents, Brazil’s Guto Miguel and Slovenian Ziga Sesko – the world’s No 1 and No 4 juniors in singles and the top-seeded boys’ doubles team in New York. But when it came to dictating pace, chasing down line drives or the rapid-fire exchanges at net, Davidov never fumbled his racquet.

The underlying catalysts behind these events trace back to evolving structural dynamics across the Sports landscape. Over recent quarters, multilateral authorities and market participants have navigated mounting volatility, heightening the urgency of coordinated responses and policy alignment.

Senior analysts and industry stakeholders underscore that strategic transparency remains paramount. As institutional delegations evaluate risk models and operational contingencies, secondary dispatches indicate that further compliance directives and consultative reviews will be initiated in the coming cycle.

Broader economic and regulatory ramifications are projected to ripple across interconnected regional ecosystems. Market analysts note that supply chains, capital allocations, and policy frameworks must swiftly assimilate these verified updates to insulate against systemic bottlenecks.

The Global Post's editorial desk will continue rigorous monitoring of this developing story, with periodic updates provided as official statements and primary documentation are released by relevant governing bodies.

Topical Tags:#Sports#The Guardian Sport#Global News#Market Analysis
Primary wire reporting curated via The Guardian Sport.View Source Dispatch
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