Ranking the best shots from modern tennis which, if combined, would create the Perfect Player

6. Movement

Rafael Nadal burning holes in the court with his sprint

I realize this is not a ‘shot’ in the literal sense of the term, or in ANY sense of the term. But as far as compenents that make a champion player are concerned, movement is perhaps the most indispensable of the lot. A Goran Ivanisevic can win a Grand Slam every once in a while, but to truly dominate the game you've got to be quick on your feet.

From Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker to Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, all the greatest tennis champions have been fantastic movers. While some – like Becker and Sampras – had unmatched forward momentum and athleticism that enabled them to kill a majority of the points at the net, others like Agassi patented the side-to-side scamper to get almost every single ball back in play.

Among contemporary players, Federer had the best of both worlds when at his peak – exceptional foot-speed at the baseline, and supreme footwork while rushing the net. Lleyton Hewitt took baseline scampering to a whole different level when he first arrived on the scene, and in recent years Gilles Simon, David Ferrer and Gael Monfils have carried on in the same vein. Monfils might possibly be the quickest player to ever set foot on a tennis court, which is why it's such a pity that he's always so passive with his movement.

Grigor Dimitrov, for all his faults, can produce some spectacular points with his nimble footwork and sheer speed. Nishikori, meanwhile, is a sight to behold when he’s made to defend; he may have shorter strides than most other top players, but boy do those strides have plenty of purpose.

Murray and Djokovic have shown us some of the most belief-defying court coverage over the course of their careers, and while Djokovic remains the better mover overall, Murray's anticipation skills make him insanely hard to hit a winner against. But the Scot has never been the greatest at sliding on clay, and the Serb has had his share of troubles on grass – at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships I lost count of the number of times he slipped on the court.

Rafael Nadal, however, has never had any such problems. The Spaniard, who would probably give the Energizer Bunny a complex, is still burning the courts at the age of 30 despite ominous predictions a decade ago that he would slow down and fade soon. There was absolutely no counter to Nadal's claycourt prowess during his glory years, but even in 2016 he outran a string of opponents at Monte Carlo and Barcelona to reinforce the fact that there's never been a better mover on dirt.

What makes Nadal's movement so special is that it not only encompasses every inch of the court, but also every aspect of the game. Whether moving side to side or backwards and forwards, sliding on clay or gliding on grass, bending low for a half-volley or arching back for an overhead, Nadal has it all covered. His sheer foot-speed has to be seen to be believed, but even in the footwork department he's second to none.

In recent years his ability to stop and turn on grass has been severely hampered by his knee problems, but for a good part of the previous decade he was able to make the transition from clay to grass in a way that no man had done since Borg. Moreover, his hardcourt movement has actually improved over the years, helped in no small part by his willingness to stand closer to the baseline as his career has progressed. While he can't quite slide on the unforgiving surface the way Djokovic does, he more than makes up for it with his superior speed.

On clay, no words will ever be enough to describe the sight of Nadal haring towards the net to dig out a drop shot, or backpedalling towards the baseline to get to a lob. Sometimes you can't even see him clearly; he's so fast that he almost looks like a blur.

Nadal was born to sprint on a tennis court, and nothing that has happened in the last two years can change that.

The pick: Rafael Nadal

So there you have it. The perfect tennis player of today's generation would have Ivo Karlovic's serve, Novak Djokovic's return, Juan Martin del Potro's forehand, Djokovic's backhand, Roger Federer's volley and Rafael Nadal's movement. Can such a player be beaten? I'd certainly like to see someone try.