Serving is one of the key aspects of a successful tennis player. A big serve can result in many points through aces, as well as setting up a point in a rally. Top tennis stars like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have already admitted that facing big tennis servers can be difficult as they have an extra weapon in their arsenal. Andy Roddick is one of them from the United States.
Over the years, the fans have witnessed some of the best servers in the game. The norm of tall players with big serves dominated the 1990s and early 2000s. Here is a list of five most dangerous servers in tennis.
Andy Roddick leads the list amongst Americans
Andy Roddick was considered the fastest server in the men’s game, during his peak years. The American had a smooth service action and won many points because of his dangerous serve throughout his career. Roddick had an average of 11.7 aces per match, and had registered his fasters serve at 155 mph. Standing at 6’2 feet tall, Roddick was not the tallest guys on court, but used service as a key weapon during matches.
Pete Sampras was as quick as Roddick on serve
Pete Sampras is another American star who used his serve to a great effect. The 14-time Grand Slam Champion used to set up his points with his big serve and enjoyed great success doing it. Sampras averaged 11 aces per match throughout his career, with his fastest serve clocked at 153 mph. The American star won 88.75% of his service games, reflecting his dominance.
Ivo Karlovic was often quicker than Andy Roddick
Ivo Karlovic was one of the tallest players in tennis history. The Croatian star stood tall at 6’11 and dominated with his service game. Karlovic had a big serve resulting in many aces throughout his career. During the course of his career, Karlovic won 92.08% of his service games. Also, the big serving Croatian averaged 22.7 aces during a match. Karlovic registered his fastest serve at 156 mph.
Roger Federer used his serve to master grass and hard courts both
Roger Federer is known for his graceful play throughout his career. However, the Swiss maestro had a big serve under his belt too. The 20-time Grand Slam champion had a fast and powerful serve, which helped him dominate many matches. Federer averaged 7.8 aces during his matches, throughout his career and recorded his fastest serve at 143 mph. Also, the Swiss maestro won 88.84% of his service games, thanks to his dominant serve.
John Isner was the last big-serving American until Ben Shelton’s arrival
John Isner is arguably the best server of all-time. The American star has dominated with his big serve throughout his career, and even getting top tennis stars worried about facing him. Isner holds the record for the fastest serve ever recorded at 253 km/h (157.2 mph) during a Davis Cup match in 2016. Also, the American is in the history books for serving 113 aces during his famous Wimbledon 2010 match against Nicolas Mahut. Over the course of his career, Isner averaged 22.8 aces per match and won 93.8% service games.
