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What is the hardest serve in tennis history?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 22, 2026

The fastest tennis serve ever recorded is an astonishing 263.4 km/h (163.7 mph) in 2012 by Sam Groth.

Whats the fastest tennis serve in history?

The fastest tennis serve on record is held by Australian tennis player Samuel Groth, when he hit a serve reaching 263 kph/163.4 mph (Source: Guinness World Records). As you can see in the video, a 150 mph serve can be quite difficult to return.

Who has the best serve in tennis history?

'The Serve Dr' Ivo Karlovic is regarded by many as the single greatest server of all time. Standing at 6”11, he holds the all time record for the most career aces served, with a staggering 13,653 in 690 matches! He therefore averages nearly 20 aces per match and will consistently serve at speeds in excess of 140mph.

What was Serena Williams hardest serve?

Here are the US Open women's singles fastest serve from 2007-2021.

  • 2007: Venus Williams, 129 mph.
  • 2008: Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany), 128 mph.
  • 2009: Venus Williams, 123 mph.
  • 2010: Venus Williams, 127 mph.
  • 2011: Venus Williams 126 mph.
  • 2012: Serena Williams, 125 mph.
  • 2013: Serena Williams, 126 mph.

How fast does Ashleigh Barty serve?

On average, Ash Barty's first serve speed is around the 170km/h mark with tops of 180km/h, a number that often does not correlate to a dominant service win percentage.

40 related questions found

Why is second serve slower?

The first serve is hit harder, usually closer to the lines, because the server is trying to gain an advantage while knowing they can fall back on the second. The second must go in or the server loses the point, so is almost always hit slower to reduce that risk.

Who is the king of aces in tennis?

Ivo Karlović has the most career aces with 13,728. He also has the most in a best-of-three-set match with 45 at Halle in 2015.

Who has the best second serve?

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are tops in second-serve point success over the past year, with 59.4 percent and 59 percent of those points won, respectively. Djokovic is also winning matches.

How fast is Rafael Nadal serve?

At Roland Garros in 2021, his most recent Grand Slam tournament before this year's Australian Open, Rafa had an average serve speed of 180 kilometres per hour on his first serve and 150km/h on his second serve.

Who is the loudest tennis player?

On the current tour, Maria Sharapova is believed to grunt the loudest, often clearing past 100 decibels on court. Monica Seles and Jimmy Connors have been labelled as the original creators of the "tennis grunt". Seles used to regularly reach 90 decibels.

What was Pete Sampras fastest serve?

Sampras hit the fastest serve of the day at 129 mph, while Ivanisevic's fastest was 127 mph _ on a second serve. But Sampras won the biggest points, breaking Ivanisevic three times while losing his own serve only twice.

What was Andy Roddick fastest serve?

Tanner's 1978 serve of 153 mph was the fastest recorded in tennis history until Andy Roddick broke it in September of 2004 with a serve of 155 mph.

What is the most important stroke in tennis?

The serve is the most important shot in tennis. All points begin with a serve. The key to this stroke is fluidity, rotation, and use of the entire body to snap upward into the shot. Start at the baseline with the tennis ball in the non-dominant hand and the racquet in the other hand.

Who has the most aces ever?

The American John Isner holds the record for the most aces in a single match. He hit 112 aces in a match against Nicolas Mahut (who himself hit 103) in the first round of Wimbledon in 2010.

Can Serena Williams beat Djokovic?

Djokovic is faster, quicker and probably has more stamina than Serena. But Serena has a far better record against top-tier opponents. Djokovic has a 58.3 winning percentage against Top-10 players, the third lowest of the Big Four.

How Fast Is Naomi Osaka's serve?

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is one of the hardest hitters in women's tennis. Her serve can reach up to 125 mph, and her forehands can hit triple-digit speeds.

Is Djokovic hard to serve?

How drastically had the speed dropped? In his semifinal against Rafael Nadal, Djokovic's average service speed was clocked at 185 kmph. It dropped down to 175 kmph against Tsitsipas. And the serves in his final two service games had an effect on the mark.

What is a reverse serve in tennis?

The reverse slice serve (or inside-out serve) is analogous to the screwball pitch in baseball. It is hit with the opposite spin of the slice serve. The server must pronate his or her racket arm and sweep the racket across his or her body while striking the ball when hitting a reverse slice serve.

Is underarm serve legal in tennis?

Although unconventional, the rules allow for underhand serving in tennis. As long as the ball is hit with the racquet prior to hitting the ground, it doesn't matter if it was released in an upward or downward motion. This rule can be found in the Friend at Court under the ITF Rules of Tennis #16 The Service.

What's a kick serve in tennis?

What Is a Kick Serve in Tennis? The topspin serve, commonly known as the kick serve, is one of the most popular serves in the game of tennis. For a kick serve, a player hits the ball “up," with the contact point high above the net, which decreases the chance of an unforced error, and perfect for second serves.