The serve is regarded as the foundation of a Tennis player's game. It is one of the first things that is taught to a new player when he or she takes up the sporty. It is a weapon that can put opponents under tremendous pressure. While most tennis players have good serves, a few stand out for their exceptional execution.
Here, we look at 5 players with the best serves:
5. Boris Becker
Boris Becker, the German legend possessed a powerful and accurate serve that revolutionized the game in the 1980s. His ability to get into great positions and achieve a good serve speed helped him secure six Grand Slam titles. He was also ranked No. 1 for a long period and is the youngest player to win the Men’s Wimbledon singles, having done so at just 17 years of age.
4. Ivo Karlovic
Ivo Karlovic, the tallest player in the history of the sport, had a powerful serve which was lightning-quick. He holds the record for the fastest serve in the storied history of the game. His height of 6’11” gave him an advantage but he also made sure that he used it in his favour. Karlovic won 8 ATP tour singles but unfortunately, couldn’t win a Grand Slam title.
3. Roger Federer
Roger Federer’s serve wasn’t the fastest but he more than made up for the lack of pace through his sensational placement which made it difficult for opponents to respond. With a record-breaking 20 Grand Slam titles, his serving strategy has proven successful. One of the greatest to have ever played the sport, Federer called time on his career back in 2022 after facing consistent issues with his knee.
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2. Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras, the former American player who is a consistent mention when the hat is about the greatest tennis players, won 14 Grand slams in his career. A lot of credit for that must go to his phenomenal serve which was as precise as they come. He complimented that precision with excellent speed which made life difficult for his rivals. His achievements led to him being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame back in 2007.
1. John Isner
The former American player, John Isner possessed arguably the most potent serve in tennis history. His serves were extremely quick and he was also good at backing it with a phenomenal second. While there was a little bit of a compromise on accuracy, his speed was his X-factor. Isner reached the final stages of Grand Slam events on multiple occasions but eventually failed to win even one title. He, however, did extremely well on the ATP tour.