Whether you're new to tennis or a longtime fan, some nicknames in tennis are practically required reading at this point. You might hear some on broadcast, and definitely a lot if you follow tennis on Twitter.
What better time than leading into the off-season to get caught up on a few favourites? BTW - this list is by no means comprehensive. Share your favourites with us at @tenniscanada and facebook.com/tenniscanada and vote on the best names below.
The basics
- Swiss Maestro — Roger Federer, often also known as simply the Maestro, RFed, Fedfan and, for many, the GOAT.
- King of Clay — Rafa Nadal has long dominated clay and has an astounding nine French Open titles.
- Djoker — Kind of an easy abbreviation for world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, but also perfectly suited to his comedic and crowd-pleasing tendencies.
- Muzz — Originally "Muzzard", Muzz is the more familiar moniker for Andy Murray these days. IMO, he kind of got the shaft on this nickname. Muzz? I dunno, it is what it is.
- Masha — Maria Sharapova's nickname isn't too original either - some think it's a breakdown of her name Ma(ria) Sha(rapova), but it's really just a common Russian pet name for girls named Maria. It does seem to suit her aggressive playing style though, so it works despite the meh origin.
- Stanimal — As if this wasn't awesome enough, Stan Wawrinka also gets called Stan the Man quite a bit. But when he goes beast mode and shocks us all by making Grand Slam finals AND winning them, there's only one name that will do.
- The Missile — Milos Raonic and his serve will forever be entwined, and the nickname solidifies this.
The classics
- Pistol Pete — As in Sampras, as in one of the toughest serve and volleyers the game has seen.
- Johnny Mac — Also called "Superbrat", John McEnroe's gentler nickname has served him well in his broadcasting career, widely considered one of the greatest commentators of all time.
- Hot Rod — Also the A-Rod of tennis, minus the controversy, Andy Roddick had a hot serve and a temper to match.
- Fraulein Forehand — All-time great Steffi Graf earned this nickname as a nod to her one of her best shots.
- Nails — Fan favourite Li Na, or Na Li, or "Nails" gets this acronymic name that also pointed to her ability to hang tough under pressure, and, we're guessing her affinity for " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fancy nails doesn't hurt either.
- Rusty —Recently retired Lleyton Hewitt got this name from his one-time coach Darren Cahill, who said the young Lleyton reminded him of Rusty Griswold from National Lampoon movies of the 80s.
Cult faves
- Fedal — You know Federer, you know Nadal, and what do you get when they face off? A battle Fedal... on Twitter, anyway.
- Pospisock — Everyone's favourite delightful duo of Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock have my personal favourite mashup nickname. Gotta love 'em.
- Shankerer — Every Fed fan's greatest fear and kinda self-explanatory - Shankerer arrives when Feds sends one flying.
- Glitter — Jelena Jankovic's "official" nickname is JJ but fans who love her flair for the dramatic opt for the shinier version.
- Dr. Ivo — The height, the serve, mostly the name, lent itself to shortening Ivo Karlovic down to Dr. Ivo, with a nod to DC Comics' Professor Ivo and Dr. Evil (to me, anyway).
- Deliciano — Arguably the most hilarious nickname (ever?), Feliciano Lopez's good looks got him this alternate name.
- Hot Sauce — For Fernando Verdasco, because it sounds like Tabasco, and he's ... spicy? *shrugs*
- EuBou — For Genie. This is not a real thing but I heard this somewhere and love it, so maybe it will catch on? :)
