Last Updated on October 27, 2023 by Alex PT
The average professional tennis serve speed is 120 mph for men and 105 mph for women. However, the fastest serves ever recorded were 163.4 mph by Sam Groth and 134.2 mph by Serena Williams.
What Is The Fastest Tennis Server Ever Recorded?
Sam Groth, an Australian, at the Challenger event in Busan on May 9, 2012, set a record for the world’s fastest serve ever made at 163.7 mph (263.4 kph). It was in three match points that the bullet serve was made during his second-round match against an opponent from Belarus, Uladzimir Ignatik. It was only bad to know that he lost the match 4-6, 3-6. Rather than being a short, stocky guy, Groth is a guy with a bulky muscular build. He measures 6’4” (193) in height. His height and physique gave him both long levers and a lot of power to get high speeds through racquets. Growth proved that his speed serves were no fluke in 2015 when he played against Federer at Wimbledon. We saw the footage from that match where he clocked 147 mph on serve.
Who Are The Fastest Servers In Tennis?
The official serve speed rankings are not maintained or even published by WTA, ATP, and ITF, but a company known as SportsMEDIA Technology (SMT) , which has a complete dataset and has been tracking serve speed for more than two decades.
Men’s Top 37 Fastest Serves Ever (ATP)
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the men tennis players with the fastest serves in ATP history. Though we only listed each players with their fastest serve in the table.
| Rank | Player | Nationality | Speed | Event | Type | Round |
| 1 | Sam Groth | Australia | 263.0 km/h (163.4 mph) | 2012 Busan Open Challenger Tennis | Singles | 2R |
| 2 | Albano Olivetti | France | 257.5 km/h (160.0 mph) | 2012 Internazionali Trofeo Lame Perrel–Faip | Singles | 1R |
| 3 | John Isner | United States | 253.0 km/h (157.2 mph) | 2016 Davis Cup | Singles | 1R |
| 4 | Ivo Karlović | Croatia | 251.0 km/h (156.0 mph) | 2011 Davis Cup | Doubles | 1R |
| 5 | Jerzy Janowicz | Poland | 251.0 km/h (156.0 mph) | 2012 Pekao Szczecin Open | Singles | 1R |
| 6 | Andy Roddick | United States | 249.4 km/h (155.0 mph) | 2004 Davis Cup | Singles | SF |
| 7 | Milos Raonic | Canada | 249.4 km/h (155.0 mph) | 2012 SAP Open | Singles | SF |
| 8 | Joachim Johansson | Sweden | 244.6 km/h (152.0 mph) | 2004 Davis Cup | Doubles | 1R |
| 9 | Feliciano López | Spain | 244.6 km/h (152.0 mph) | 2014 Aegon Championships | Singles | 1R |
| 10 | Marius Copil | Romania | 244.0 km/h (151.6 mph) | 2016 European Open | Singles | QF |
| 11 | Hubert Hurkacz | Poland | 243.0 km/h (151.0 mph) | 2016 Davis Cup | Singles | 1R |
| 12 | Taylor Dent | United States | 241.0 km/h (149.8 mph) | 2006 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament | Singles | 1R |
| 13 | Juan Martín del Potro | Argentina | 240.0 km/h (149.1 mph) | 2017 Stockholm Open | Singles | F |
| 14 | Greg Rusedski | United Kingdom | 239.8 km/h (149.0 mph) | 1998 Newsweek Champions Cup | Singles | SF |
| 15 | Dmitry Tursunov | Russia | 237.0 km/h (147.3 mph) | 2006 Davis Cup | Singles | SF |
| 16 | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | France | 237.0 km/h (147.3 mph) | 2014 Rogers Cup | Singles | QF |
| 17 | Frances Tiafoe | United States | 237.0 km/h (147.3 mph) | 2018 Estoril Open | Singles | F |
| 18 | Taylor Fritz | United States | 237.0 km/h (147.3 mph) | 2020 US Open | Singles | 3R |
| 19 | Gaël Monfils | France | 235.0 km/h (146.0 mph) | 2007 Legg Mason Tennis Classic | Singles | QF |
| 20 | Dušan Vemić | Serbia | 235.0 km/h (146.0 mph) | 2008 Countrywide Classic | Singles | ? |
| 21 | Marin Čilić | Croatia | 235.0 km/h (146.0 mph) | 2016 Davis Cup | Singles | 1R |
| 22 | Ivan Ljubičić | Croatia | 234.0 km/h (145.4 mph) | 2005 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid | Singles | F |
| 23 | Stan Wawrinka | Switzerland | 234.0 km/h (145.4 mph) | 2014 Davis Cup | Doubles | F |
| 24 | Grigor Dimitrov | Bulgaria | 233.4 km/h (145.0 mph) | 2013 Aegon Championships | Singles | ? |
| 25 | Reilly Opelka | United States | 233.4 km/h (145.0 mph) | 2016 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships | ? | ? |
| 26 | Viktor Troicki | Serbia | 233.4 km/h (145.0 mph) | 2017 Davis Cup | ? | ? |
| 27 | Nicolás Jarry | Chile | 233.0 km/h (144.8 mph) | 2018 Davis Cup | ? | 1R |
| 28 | Fernando Verdasco | Spain | 232.0 km/h (144.2 mph) | 2009 French Open | ? | ? |
| 29 | Dominic Thiem | Austria | 232.0 km/h (144.2 mph) | 2017 Gerry Weber Open | ? | ? |
| 30 | Mardy Fish | United States | 231.7 km/h (144 mph) | 2007 Pacific Life Open | Singles | 1R |
| 31 | Marcin Matkowski | Poland | 231.7 km/h (144 mph) | 2009 ATP World Tour Finals | Doubles | ? |
| 32 | Robin Söderling | Sweden | 230.1 km/h (143.0 mph) | 2010 ATP World Tour Finals | Singles | RR |
| 33 | Nick Kyrgios | Australia | 230.1 km/h (143.0 mph) | 2019 Wimbledon | Singles | 2R |
| 34 | Roger Federer | Switzerland | 230.1 km/h (143.0 mph) | 2010 Gerry Weber Open | ? | ? |
| 35 | Martin Verkerk | Netherlands | 230.0 km/h (142.9 mph) | 2003 Breil Milano Indoor | ? | ? |
| 36 | Nicolás Almagro | Spain | 230.0 km/h (142.9 mph) | 2016 Argentina Open | ? | ? |
The Criteria Used
1. 230 km/h (143 mph) minimum standard speed is what the men’s serves must be recorded at.
2. We only record a player with his highest serve speed. For example, Roger Federer has many serves over 135 mph, by we only recorded his fastest at 230.1 km/h 143.0 mph.
3. We only added the oldest serve if the different players have their serves recorded at the same speed.
Women’s Top 17 Fastest Serves Ever (WTA)
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the women tennis players with the fastest serves in ATP history.
The Criteria Used
1. The serves of women category must be recorded over or at 124 mph (200 km/h) minimum standard speed
2. We only record a player with his highest serve speed. For example, Georgina Garcia Perez has many serves over 125 mph, but we only recorded her fastest at 220.0 km/h 136.7 mph.
| Rank | Player | Nationality | Speed | Event |
| 1 | Georgina Garcia Pérez | Spain | 220.0 km/h (136.7 mph) | 2018 Hungarian Ladies Open |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 214.0 km/h (133.0 mph) | 2018 WTA Elite Trophy |
| 3 | Sabine Lisicki | Germany | 210.8 km/h (131.0 mph) | 2014 Stanford Classic |
| 4 | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | Netherlands | 209.2 km/h (130.0 mph) | 2006 Cincinnati Masters (qualifiers) |
| 5 | Venus Williams | United States | 207.6 km/h (129.0 mph) | 2007 US Open |
| 6 | Serena Williams | United States | 207.0 km/h (128.6 mph) | 2013 Australian Open |
| 7 | Ivana Jorović | Serbia | 207.0 km/h (128.6 mph) | 2017 Fed Cup |
| 8 | Julia Görges | Germany | 203.0 km/h (126.1 mph) | 2012 French Open |
| 9 | Caroline Garcia | France | 203.0 km/h (126.1 mph) | 2016 Fed Cup |
| 10 | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | Netherlands | 202.7 km/h (126.0 mph) | 2007 Indian Wells Masters |
| 11 | Nadiya Kichenok | Ukraine | 202.0 km/h (125.5 mph) | 2014 Australian Open |
| 12 | Lucie Hradecká | Czech Republic | 201.2 km/h (125.0 mph) | 2015 Wimbledon |
| 13 | Naomi Osaka | Japan | 201.2 km/h (125.0 mph) | 2016 US Open |
| 14 | Anna-Lena Grönefeld | Germany | 201.1 km/h (125.0 mph) | 2009 Indian Wells Masters |
| 15 | Ana Ivanovic | Serbia | 201.0 km/h (124.9 mph) | 2007 French Open |
| 16 | Denisa Allertová | Czech Republic | 201.0 km/h (124.9 mph) | 2015 Australian Open |
Factors that affect serve speed
Serve speed in tennis is influenced by various factors:
- Technique: A player’s serving technique, including the grip, stance, and motion, directly affects the speed and accuracy of their serves.
- Strength: Physical strength, particularly in the shoulders, arms, and legs, plays a crucial role in generating power for serves.
- Racquet Choice: The type of tennis racquet used can impact serve speed. Racquets with larger head sizes or more power-oriented designs can help generate faster serves.
- String Tension: The tension of the strings on the racquet can affect the amount of power transferred to the ball. Lower tension generally provides more power.
- Timing: The timing of various parts of the serve, such as the toss, racquet drop, and contact point, greatly influences the serve’s speed and direction.
- Mental Factors: Confidence and mental focus can impact a player’s ability to serve at their highest speed.
- Conditioning: Overall fitness, including core strength and flexibility, is crucial for generating serve speed.
- Footwork: Proper footwork allows a player to transfer energy efficiently from the legs to the upper body during the serve.
- Environmental Conditions: Factors like altitude, temperature, and wind can affect serve speed and accuracy.
- Opponent: The quality of the opponent’s return can influence a player’s decision to go for maximum speed or focus on placement.
- Surface: The type of court surface (e.g., grass, clay, hardcourt) can impact how the ball interacts with the ground, affecting serve speed.
- Serve Type: Different serve types, like the flat serve, kick serve, or slice serve, have varying speed potentials.
Final Words
Once again, the fastest serves have an average speed of 148 mph (238km/h), while the median speed of the fastest serves is 146 mph (235km/h). We’ve come to the end of this article, we hope you now know the average professional tennis serve speed. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments.
References:
https://tenniscreative.com/fastest-tennis-serve/
https://tennispredict.com/how-fast-pro-players-serves-in-tennis/
Hi! I’m Alex PT. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Indiana University and have over seven years of valuable experience working in a Sports Event Management Company. I founded SportBlurb with the passion for bringing you the latest, most insightful, and engaging content in the world of sports. So, whether you’re a die-hard fan or want to stay informed, I’ve got you covered!