LONDON: In the past, many people have said that the ATP Finals features the giants in men’s tennis, but for Kevin Anderson, it is statistically true.
At six foot and eight inches tall, the South African is the second tallest player to have ever contested the Nitto ATP Finals. The first is 6”10’ John Isner, who is also making his debut at The O2 this week. On Sunday he kick-started this year’s tournament with a two-set triumph over Dominic Thiem. The victory equals his personal best of 46 wins within one season, which was set back in 2015.
“There’s definitely been more and more successful (players) who are tall,” Anderson told reporters on Sunday.
“I think the biggest thing when you are taller, sometimes moveability is a little tougher, change of direction, getting to lower balls. That’s something that you have to work I think a little bit harder on.”
“But I think it’s changed the perspective a little bit. When you see other guys that are tall moving well, you are a kid, it changes the way you see the game. That’s often the case.”
Height has in no way impeded the 32-year-old on the court this season. Heading into the final ATP event of 2018, he has featured in five finals on the tour. Winning titles in New York followed by Vienna, which was the first ATP 500 event he has won. On July 16th Anderson became the first South African male to break into the top five on the ATP rankings at fifth.
Players at the ATP Finals ranked by height
John Isner – 208cm
Kevin Anderson – 203cm
Alexander Zverev – 198cm
Marin Cilic – 198cm
Novak Djokovic – 188cm
Roger Federer – 185cm
Dominic Thiem – 185cm
Kei Nishikori – 178cm
So how does somebody so tall manage to succeed on the tour? Especially when it comes to facing players who repeatedly hit low balls. Forcing Anderson to bend more and apply pressure on his knees or back. The South African believes part of the success is attributed towards how he was brought up by his parents.
“My dad, who taught me growing up, was very insistent and he had great foresight to see where the game was going,” Anderson explains.
“We spent a lot of time working on my movement from the baseline. That’s what I feel more comfortable with. As my career got on, I’ve been trying to find ways to come forward more.”
“Especially in today’s game, there’s a lot of times where guys are playing such great defense that you do find yourself in rallies. I spent a lot of time in my training, both on and off the court, working on my movement. Having good technique, good footwork patterns, being strong enough, being tall.”
‘There’s still room for improvement’
In a sport where the average of the top tennis players has increased in recent years, Anderson is refusing to declare that he is at his peak. The 32-year-old is the 12th oldest player currently ranked in the top 100. Roger Federer tops the list at the age of 37.
“If I look at my game, I definitely feel there are some areas that I can continue to get better on. They’re very, very small margins. I feel I have done a very good job in the last while in trusting in my game.” He analyzed.
“I still feel like some of my best tennis is ahead of me. I feel like the goals I’ve set for myself, there’s still a lot to play for. Of course, the biggest challenge would be health.”
Anderson’s belief has been aided by his quartet of wins over top 10 players this season, including his thrilling triumph over Federer at Wimbledon. His other conquests were Grigor Dimitrov, Isner and most recently Thiem on Sunday.
“It doesn’t always work out, but I definitely feel like I’m getting more and more comfortable in those situations, against some of the best players in the world.” He concluded.
Anderson will continue his campaign at the ATP Finals on Tuesday. He will take on the winner of the Sunday night clash between Federer and Kei Nishikori.
