Tennis is a sport that is dependent on a number of skills, but the serve is arguably the most important. The ability to serve accurately and powerfully can significantly affect the outcome of a point.
As such, the top nine servers in tennis today are some of the best in the world.
Marin Cilic has reached the finals of two of the last four Grand Slams, while Sam Querrey has one of the best serves in the business.
Giles Muller is known for his left-handed serve, and Kevin Anderson has the fourth highest serve rating.
Milos Raonic has fired 5,995 aces in his career, and Roger Federer has the second most aces of all-time.
Nick Kyrgios has a powerful serve with pinpoint accuracy, and John Isner relies solely on his serve.
Each of these players has a unique skill set, and their combination of power, spin, and placement makes for a formidable serve.
In this article, the effectiveness and statistics of the top nine servers in tennis will be discussed.
Powerful Serves
The power of a serve is one of the most important elements of a successful tennis game. This is evidenced by the fact that some of the top nine servers in tennis right now have achieved impressive success due to their powerful serves.
Marin Cilic, for example, has reached the finals of two of the last four Grand Slams and wins 80% of points when his first serve goes in.
Sam Querrey has the ninth highest serve rating, averaging 13 aces per match.
Giles Muller has the seventh highest rating and wins 89.2% of service games.
Kevin Anderson has the fourth highest rating.
Milos Raonic has the sixth highest rating, with 5,995 aces in his career.
Roger Federer has the second most aces of all time with 10,414, and a serve with pinpoint accuracy.
Nick Kyrgios has the fifth highest serve rating and wins 89.6% of service games.
John Isner relies solely on his serve with a 70.4% first serve percentage.
The power of the serve is a key factor in determining the success of a tennis player.
Accuracy and Placement
Accuracy and placement of serves are critical elements for successful performance on the court. Table 1 below shows the statistics for the top nine servers in tennis right now. Roger Federer has the second most aces of all time with 10,414. Milos Raonic has fired 5,995 aces in his career, while Kevin Anderson and Sam Querrey have the fourth and ninth highest serve ratings respectively. John Isner has the highest percentage of first serves in, at 70.4%, and Marin Cilic wins 80% of points when his first serve goes in. Giles Muller has a left-handed serve which is dangerous, and Nick Kyrgios wins 89.6% of service games.
| Player | Ace Count | Serve Rating | 1st Serve % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federer | 10,414 | N/A | 80.5 |
| Raonic | 5,995 | 6th | N/A |
| Anderson | N/A | 4th | 90.1 |
| Querrey | N/A | 9th | N/A |
| Isner | N/A | N/A | 70.4 |
| Cilic | 19th | N/A | 80.0 |
| Muller | N/A | 7th | 89.2 |
| Kyrgios | N/A | 5th | 89.6 |
Effectiveness and Statistics
Statistics of aces, serve ratings, and first serve percentages demonstrate the effectiveness of the top nine players in the sport. Marin Cilic, Sam Querrey, Giles Muller, Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic, Roger Federer, Nick Kyrgios, and John Isner stand out from the rest in terms of their power, spin, and placement. These players have:
- Fired thousands of aces, with Federer leading the pack with 10,414
- High serve ratings, with Anderson and Querrey having the 4th and 9th highest ratings
- High percentages of first serves in, with Isner having the highest at 70.4%
These players have the ability to challenge top players, control the game, and dictate the start of a point, making them incredibly effective in the sport.
