More on Tennis Longevity and the Grip, from Charles Pennington
Tennis28.com gives in order the youngest and oldest major tournament winners of the open era — e.g. Michael Chang was the youngest winner at age 17, in 1989, at Roland Garros, and Ken Rosewall the oldest, at age 37, in 1972, at the Australian.
I list the top 25 youngest and top 25 oldest below, along with my assignment of "E" (Eastern) or "W" (Western).
Of the 25 youngest winners, 12, by my count, use a Western grip.
Of the 25 oldest, only four use a Western grip –and all four are Andre Agassi, and I think that's generous, since I would argue that his grip, toward the end of his career, may have been more Eastern than the average player's.
So apart from the borderline case of Agassi, none of the oldest 25 winners used a Western grip, while 12 of the 25 youngest winners did. This supports the Chair's prediction that Nadal doesn't have many more years to go at the highest level.
25 youngest major tournament winners:
1 Michael Chang 1989 Roland Garros 17y 3m 20d E
2 Boris Becker 1985 Wimbledon 17y 7m 15d E
3 Mats Wilander 1982 Roland Garros 17y 9m 15d E
4 Bjorn Borg 1974 Roland Garros 18y 0m 10d W
5 Boris Becker 1986 Wimbledon 18y 7m 14d E
6 Rafael Nadal 2005 Roland Garros 19y 0m 2d W
7 Bjorn Borg 1975 Roland Garros 19y 0m 9d W
8 Pete Sampras 1990 US Open 19y 0m 28d E
9 Mats Wilander 1983 Australian 19y 3m 19d E
10 Stefan Edberg 1985 Australian 19y 10m 19d E
11 Rafael Nadal 2006 Roland Garros 20y 0m 8d W
12 Bjorn Borg 1976 Wimbledon 20y 0m 27d W
13 Mats Wilander 1984 Australian 20y 3m 17d E
14 Lleyton Hewitt 2001 US Open 20y 6m 16d W
15 John McEnroe 1979 US Open 20y 6m 24d E
16 Marat Safin 2000 US Open 20y 7m 14d W
17 Gustavo Kuerten 1997 Roland Garros 20y 8m 29d W
18 Mats Wilander 1985 Roland Garros 20y 9m 18d E
19 Jim Courier 1991 Roland Garros 20y 9m 23d W
20 Stefan Edberg 1987 Australian 21y 0m 6d E
21 Rafael Nadal 2007 Roland Garros 21y 0m 7d W
22 Andy Roddick 2003 US Open 21y 0m 8d W
23 Bjorn Borg 1977 Wimbledon 21y 0m 26d W
24 Jimmy Connors 1974 Australian 21y 3m 30d E
25 Lleyton Hewitt 2002 Wimbledon 21y 4m 13d W
25 oldest major tournament winners
1 Ken Rosewall 1972 Australian 37y 2m 1d E
2 Ken Rosewall 1971 Australian 36y 2m 12d E
3 Ken Rosewall 1970 US Open 35y 10m 11d E
4 Andres Gimeno 1972 Roland Garros 34y 10m 1d E
5 Ken Rosewall 1968 Roland Garros 33y 7m 7d E
6 Andre Agassi 2003 Australian 32y 8m 28d W
7 Arthur Ashe 1975 Wimbledon 31y 11m 25d E
8 Rod Laver 1969 US Open 31y 1m 0d E
9 Pete Sampras 2002 US Open 31y 0m 27d E
10 Jimmy Connors 1983 US Open 31y 0m 9d E
11 Rod Laver 1969 Wimbledon 30y 10m 26d E
12 Rod Laver 1969 Roland Garros 30y 9m 30d E
13 Andre Agassi 2001 Australian 30y 8m 30d W
14 John Newcombe 1975 Australian 30y 7m 9d E
15 Rod Laver 1969 Australian 30y 5m 18d E
16 Andres Gomez 1990 Roland Garros 30y 3m 14d E
17 Jimmy Connors 1982 US Open 30y 0m 10d E
18 Petr Korda 1998 Australian 30y 0m 9d E
19 Rod Laver 1968 Wimbledon 29y 10m 27d E
20 Ivan Lendl 1990 Australian 29y 10m 21d E
21 Jimmy Connors 1982 Wimbledon 29y 10m 2d E
22 Goran Ivanisevic 2001 Wimbledon 29y 9m 26d E
23 Andre Agassi 2000 Australian 29y 9m 1d W
24 Andre Agassi 1999 US Open 29y 4m 14d W
25 John Newcombe 1973 US Open 29y 3m 17d E