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Juan Martin del Potro, Robin Soderling and Tomas
Berdych all stand at least 6 feet 4 inches. Each bombards opponents
with powerful groundstrokes from the baseline. Each moves, when
healthy, with speed and athleticism atypical of men their size.

Each also toppled Roger Federer in a Grand Slam
event in the past year, three defeats on three surfaces – U.S. Open
(del Potro), French Open (Soderling) and Wimbledon (Berdych) –
highlighting the evolution of men’s tennis, a game in which the tall
and mighty once survived on serve alone.

“That’s what you have to do against Federer,” said
Justin Gimelstob, a Tennis Channel commentator and retired pro. ‘`You
have to put pressure on him. You have to put power into his backhand.
You’ve got to match his athleticism and movement. That’s where the
sport is going.

‘’I call those players the new hybrid.”

Pros were once divided more easily into two
categories: big men who pummeled tennis balls but moved clumsily, and
smaller men who played with elegance and artistry, a backhanded way of
saying they lacked a certain power. There were exceptions, sure. Now,
few players hit harder than the 6-foot-1 Rafael Nadal.

But he is surrounded by the evolution, by del
Potro (6-6 and recovering from injury), Berdych (6-5) and Soderling
(6-4), and by the next wave of American talent, players like Sam
Querrey (6-6) and John Isner (6-9). They are elite young pros – or the
makings of an undersize NBA frontcourt.

This trend, an infiltration of taller, stronger
players with athleticism to match, mirrors developments in women’s
tennis and changes across sports. It also forecasts a different game.
Even Nadal recently said that he must play more aggressively to contend
at important tournaments, and he did so in winning the French Open and
Wimbledon.

‘’These guys all have the ability to dictate
whether they’re going to lose a match,“ said Darren Cahill, a retired
player turned ESPN analyst. ”They all hit the ball a ton. They all move
gracefully. Tennis has become more of a big-man game.”

Gimelstob noticed the change before he retired in
2007. In a recent interview, the 6-5 Gimelstob described taller players
like him as ‘’big and slow“ back then. The 6-3 Boris Becker, nicknamed
Boom Boom, was once regarded as a hulking force on tour, but he would
not stand out for size alone today.

‘’The boys are so powerful off of the baseline
now that they don’t have to come to the net to finish points,“ Becker
said. ”That’s the reason we went to the net. To finish the point.
Nowadays, even the big guys can hit winners four feet behind the
baseline.”

But that explains only part of the evolution. As
far back as when rackets switched from wood to graphite, purists have
fretted that power would take over tennis. Artistry ultimately won out
for years.

Becker, like many, said that more recent advances
in string and racket technology were also influential. Extra spin
helped shots once seemingly headed for the fence land safely within the
lines. As Cahill conducted a recent interview, Berdych walked down the
hallway at the Rogers Cup in Toronto

‘’Look at how big he is,“ Cahill said. ”He can
stand behind the baseline and take huge swings. With that ability,
players can unload on shots you never could have 20 years ago, 15 years
ago.”

As Federer said in Toronto, serves of more than
200 kilometers an hour (about 125 mph) once registered as big. Now they
are normal.

Average second serves, meanwhile, have increased
by about 25 mph, in Federer’s estimation. Returns have therefore also
gotten faster, and with fewer players approaching the net, placement
has become less important.

Racket technology, Federer added, allows for different angles, shorter and more varied for shots smacked at maximum speed.

All of which, Federer argued, lowered the margin for error.

‘’Guys are hitting the ball bigger than ever,“ he
said. ”I’m very good, but I don’t have the margins like maybe exist in
women’s tennis that you can just come out and dominate an opponent
every single time. That just doesn’t happen in the men’s game.”

Paul Annacone, the coach who started working with
Federer recently, described him as a forward thinker more than willing
to adapt. He pointed to the championship Federer secured in Cincinnati
and his ‘’commitment and belief.”

Cahill even argued that the serve-and-volley style
considered a tennis dinosaur in some quarters would eventually return.
Such is the cyclical nature of all sports, including this one. Others
advocate simpler rackets and strings, a limit to evolution.

Perhaps tennis’ next superstar will stand tall and serve big and play with a Federer-like elegance.

‘’There’s still room for flair and artistry and
playing a game that’s going to confuse people,“ Cahill said. ”Federer
has proven that, time and time and time again. Even with the new string
technology, which has been around for 10 years. He still won 16
majors.”

Regardless, the next wave has arrived. Call it the hybrid generation.

© 2010 New York Times News Service