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A powerful serve is one of the most formidable weapons in tennis, and over the past few decades, it has grown into an increasingly vital element of a player’s game.
A quick walk through tennis history shows us that players with powerful serves have often dominated the court. Way back in the 1920s, Bill Tilden’s unprecedented powerhouse serve saw him win 10 major titles, and in the 70s, Stan Smith rose to the top of the rankings to win two Grand Slam crowns courtesy of his searing serve.
The 1980s marked a real turning point, though, with the introduction of oversized racquets, made from graphite rather than wood. This saw players such as Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic make their mark in the 90s, and as the technology continues to improve, the serves keep getting faster.
The fastest tennis serve ever recorded is an astonishing 263.4 km/h (163.7 mph) in 2012 by Sam Groth. Unfortunately for the Australian, that record is not recognised by the ATP as it came at a Challenger event. Speeds recorded at the Challenger level are not formally recognised speeds due to lack of uniformity, availability, and calibration of radar guns. Groth can take some comfort in the fact ATP-approved equipment was used on that day, and other data gathered appeared within a normal range.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll stick to ATP recognised serves, so Frenchman Albano Olivetti, who managed the second-fastest serve ever recorded, also misses out.
1. John Isner – 2016 Davis Cup
John Isner made the fastest recorded serve in an ATP event. The American tops the list with an astonishing 253.0 km/h (157.2 mph) ace at the Davis Cup in 2016.
Isner’s effort came in the USA’s 3-1 first-round win over Australia in his victory over Bernard Tomic. Isner also beat Groth during the tie as the USA produced an upset, but they then lost to Croatia in the next round. The North Carolina native is something of a serial record-breaker, having also been involved in the longest tennis match of all time.
2. Ivo Karlovic – 2011 Davis Cup
Before Isner rewrote the record books in 2016, Ivo Karlovic held the record of making the fastest serve in front of a speed gun in an ATP tournament. The Croatian hit a 251.0 km/h (156.0 mph) ace while playing alongside Ivan Dodig against Germany in the doubles event of the 2011 Davis Cup.
Karlovic did not leave the court with the bragging rights, however, as Croatia lost to German duo Christopher Kas and Philipp Petzschner.
3. Milos Raonic – 2012 SAP Open
Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic edges into third spot in this list of the fastest tennis serves of all time. Playing in the 2012 SAP Open against Ryan Harrison, the former world No 3 crushed a 249.9 km/h (155.3 mph) serve against the American.
Raonic went on to win the tournament, beating Denis Istomin in straight sets in the final. History remembers Raonic as one of the best servers of all time, with his power taking him deep inside the top-10 in the mid-2010s.
4. Andy Roddick – 2004 Davis Cup
There must be something about the Davis Cup and monstrous serves. Andy Roddick also notched his fastest recorded serve in the team competition, back in 2004. The American was predominantly a serve-and-volley player, and that helped him win the US Open in 2003, as well as reaching three Wimbledon finals.
Roddick clocked a speed of 249.4 km/h (155.0 mph) in the semi-finals of the tournament as the USA overcame Belarus. The Americans lost the final to Spain, however, with a young Rafael Nadal claiming a four-set win over Roddick.
In the same year, Roddick hit the fastest serve ever recorded at Wimbledon, a record which stood until 2010. The current Wimbledon record for the fastest serve of 238.2 km/h (148 mph) was set in 2010 by the American Taylor Dent.
5=. Feliciano Lopez – 2014 Aegon Championships
There is a bit of a drop off between the top four fastest serves of Isner, Karlovic, Raonic and Roddick, and the rest of the names on this list.
At almost five km/h slower, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez hit the fifth-fastest serve in history, recorded at 244.6 km/h (152.0 mph) in 2014. The shot came at the 2014 Aegon Championships – more commonly known as Queen’s – where Lopez went on to make the final, losing to Grigor Dimitrov in a 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 epic.
5=. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – 2024 French Open
The most recent entry on the list of fastest-ever serves is Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who equalled Lopez’s mark of 244.6 km/h (152.0 mph) at last year’s French Open.
However, there’s one catch: Mpetshi Perricard recorded this speed in a doubles match. Many lists of the fastest serves will look over this serve as a result, but it was done under the same criteria as every other serve on this list, so it’s legitimate in our eyes.
Chances are, Mpetshi Perricard will find his way on this list again in the future. The 21-year-old took the ATP Tour by storm last year, regularly recording 30+ aces per match as he bagged two titles in his maiden season on tour.
7. Marius Copil – 2016 European Open
Marius Copil finished his career without winning a title, but tennis lovers still remember the Romanian for the serves he rocketed towards his opponents. He surprised David Goffin with a phenomenal 244 km/h strike (151.6 mph).
He lost the match 7-5, 1-6, 3-6, but he registered one of the fastest serves of all-time in an ATP competition.
