I thought a fun idea for a post would be to discuss players who have fallen well short of their potential throughout their careers. Now some of these players have been plagued by injury, so it certainly isn’t their fault that they have not achieved as much as people expected of them, but I still think it’s worth mentioning them. Let’s begin.
1: Grigor Dimitrov
I think out of all the players in this list Dimitrov is probably the most talked about, one of the most entertaining to watch, and the most frustrating. His game is very much like that of Roger Federer, so much so he has been dubbed ‘young Fed’ by many pundits. He has every shot in the book, a tonne of flair and breathtaking movement. The big thing he lacks is the mental consistency to turn in consistent results. A world high ranking of number 3, he has reached several Grand Slam semi finals, most notably the Aussie Open in 2017 where he lost a marathon battle to Rafa. The highlight of his career was winning the 2017 World Tour Finals, but he has had an abysmal season in 2018, so it will be tough for him to maintain his ranking points entering 2019.
2: Dominic Thiem
This one might surprise some people, but having been consistently ranked in the top players in the world for the last 3 to 4 years, I expected so much more from Thiem. Again he has amazing strokes, in particular massive groundstrokes. He has reached his first Grand Slam semi final at Roland Garros this year, but has struggled to gain any rhythm throughout the rest of the season. A dire showing at Wimbledon saw him exit in the first round, and the rest of the season hasn’t turned up much either. He just hasn’t won enough for me to say he is reaching his potential. He’s been dubbed the Prince of Clay and Rafa’s replacement, but aside from the red dirt of Europe he really hasn’t made much of a splash.
3: Gael Monfils
One the great entertainers on tour, Monfils can be both the most and least energetic player in the world within the same match. It’s frustrating to say the least. Many have said he could have won Grand Slams, and I would agree. I think he could have been at the level of Stan Wawrinka, but he has just never found the drive or consistency. He’s still a ticket selling player, and one many would love to watch. He could have been top five his whole career I believe, so is possibly one of the biggest wastes on tour.
4: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
A player who has had a fair few problems with injuries through the years, Tsonga is one of my favourite players on tour. Still, I really do think he could have been a multiple Grand Slam winner. He has reached the final of the Australian Open in 2008, the World Tour Final in 2011 and many Grand Slam semis. He has also won the Davis Cup with France. Aside from injury I would label a few things as his downfall. In the past he has had an inconsistent serve, but changes to that in 2017 saw a huge improvement in results and his overall game. He has also had a few issues with his focus and mentality. A lack of change in his coaching team could be said to show stability, or a lack of desire to make major changes or improvements to his game. He has also switched gear quite often, which rarely produces positive results for players. I understand necessary changes for players, such as Roger increasing head size for more power and consistency as he ages, or Rafa changing strings for more power and spin. Djokovic and Murray both lightened their rackets when they got injured, however, Tsonga appears to have only damaged his game with racket changes, as his ranking has dropped each time as he adjusted to new sticks.
5:Bernard Tomic
Where to even begin with Bernard Tomic. He has breathtaking talent, the ability to make the sport looking totally effortless and yet he throws it all away through an attitude that stinks. He was meant to be Hewitt’s Aussie heir, but it’s purely his mentality that prevents that. It’s disgusting to watch at times, especially from a man who could have won at least 5 slams in my opinion.
6: Tomas Berdych
Until the last couple of years, Berdych has been one of the most consistently ranked top 10 players in the world. He has a huge game, which had improved to become more aggressive at the beginning of this season before he was injured. He’s made finals but never pulled off big wins, and for that he finds himself on this list. I don’t know if he just isn’t quite good enough, but he doesn’t seem to have any weaknesses in his actual game, or mentality, so I guess he just maybe doesn’t have enough for the big moments.
7: Kei Nishikori
This guy is a lightweight fighting heavyweights, and he puts up one hell of a fight. Sadly for Nishikori, as John Mcenroe has pointed out, this weight difference has wrought havoc on his body. He has been plagued by injuries since reaching the US Open final against Marin Cilic, and before this he looked set to keep moving onwards and upwards. It’s such a shame, and I hope he can find form and reach his former peak.
Dishonourable Mentions:
A few players who many would maybe say were never destined to win a Grand Slam also deserve mentions.
Lucas Pouille
A player who has had some big wins against the likes of Nadal, Pouille is just painfully inconsistent, particularly in Grand Slams. It’s a shame because I love his game. He is also one of the highest ranks young players in the world, so it’s a shame he doesn’t show it more often.
Richard Gasquet
Former world number 1 in juniors, Gasquet was meant to be the guy Federer has become. He has an incredible one handed backhand. Unfortunately, the rest of his game doesn’t match up. His forehand and lack of physicality is arguably the major reason he hasn’t made it further in slams.
Fernando Verdasco
A player with incredible style and flair as well as a monster forehand, Verdasco has always lacked the mental edge to make big runs. He has won minor tournaments and caused a couple of upsets against big names, but more often than not his mental weakness has caused him to choke in big moments. A shame, because he was once as high as 7 in the world.
Tennis Talk 