Fastest recorded tennis serves

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article lists the fastest record serve speeds for men's and women's professional tennis.

The fastest, biggest recorded serve is by Sam Groth, at 263.4 km/h (163.7 mph) at a Challenger event.[1] The fastest recorded serve at an ATP event was by John Isner, at 253.0 km/h (157.0 mph) in the first round of the 2016 Davis Cup.[2]

This list is not historically complete. There are reports from the 1920s, at a time when service motions were regulated differently (with mandatory one foot on the ground), that Bill Tilden had a serve that was clocked at 262.81 km/h (163.3 mph) but there is nothing to verify that.[3] "Big Bill" Tilden also delivered another serve claimed to be officially measured at 163.61 mph (73.14 m/s / 263.30 km/h) in 1931. Britain's Mike Sangster had a serve allegedly timed at 154 mph (247.84 km/h) in 1963. Ellsworth Vines was clocked at 128 mph (206 km/h) and his 1930s contemporary Lester Rollo Stoeten sent down a serve timed at 131 mph (210.82 km/h). Also, Ellsworth Vines in the Wimbledon finals of 1932 clocked 194.73 km/h (121 mph) (without Radar).[4] The fastest serve claimed to be scientifically timed was the 137 mph (220.48 km/h) serve from Scott Carnahan at Los Angeles in 1976. Udayachand Shetty's winning serve was clocked by radar at 193.12 km/h (120 mph) using a wooden racquet, at the Gilbey Gins fast serve contest held in Chicago on 24 July 1976.[5] This qualified him to take part in the finals at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills Queens on 20 August 1976. Colin Dibley won the event with a serve of 209.21 km/h (130 mph).[6] Then in 1981 a West German lawn tennis coach and statistician, Horst Goepper, claimed a serving speed of 199.53 mph (321.11 km/h) during a test in Weinheim.[7]

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with a 237 km/h (147.3 mph) second serve in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon Championships, holds the record for the fastest second serve ever recorded.[8]

Criteria to be listed in this article
  • Men's serves must be recorded at or over 230 km/h (142.9 mph) minimum standard speed.
  • Women's serves must be recorded at or over 200 km/h (124.3 mph) minimum standard speed.[9]
  • Only one serve per player is recorded here. For example, Andy Roddick has several 225.3 km/h (140 mph) or faster serves on his record but only his personal best of 249 km/h (155 mph) is included.[10]
  • In cases where more than one serve has been recorded at the same speed, the oldest recorded serve is listed first.

Men

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RRQ# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
  Not recognized by ATP
  Unsourced or unverified
More information Rank, Player ...
RankPlayerMax reportedEvent Type Round Ref. Non-outlier max[11] Average first serve[11]
1Australia Sam Groth263.4 km/h (163.7 mph)2012 Busan Open Challenger Tennis Singles 2R [12] 236.6 km/h (147.0 mph) 197.9 km/h (123.0 mph)
2France Albano Olivetti257.5 km/h (160.0 mph)2012 Internazionali Trofeo Lame Perrel–FaipSingles 1R [13] 226.9 km/h (141.0 mph) 204.4 km/h (127.0 mph)
3Germany Mark Wallner257.0 km/h (159.7 mph) 2025 Atkinsons Monza ChallengerDoubles 1R 243.0 km/h (151.0 mph)
4United States John Isner253.0 km/h (157.2 mph)2016 Davis CupSingles 1R [note 1][15] 241.4 km/h (150.0 mph) 201.2 km/h (125.0 mph)
5Croatia Ivo Karlović251 km/h (156.0 mph)2011 Davis Cup Doubles 1R [16] 223.7 km/h (139.0 mph) 201.2 km/h (125.0 mph)
Poland Jerzy Janowicz251 km/h (156.0 mph)2012 Pekao Szczecin OpenSingles 1R [note 2][18] 230.1 km/h (143.0 mph)241.4 km/h (150.0 mph) 193.1 km/h (120.0 mph)
7Canada Milos Raonic249.9 km/h (155.3 mph)2012 SAP OpenSingles 2R [19] 243.0 km/h (151.0 mph) 201.2 km/h (125.0 mph)
8United States Andy Roddick249.4 km/h (155 mph)2004 Davis CupSingles SF [20] 244.6 km/h (152.0 mph) 199.6 km/h (124.0 mph)
9Australia Chris Guccione 248.0 km/h (154.1 mph) 2006 Davis Cup Singles 1R [21]
10 France Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 246.23 km/h (153.0 mph) 2025 Wimbledon Championships Singles 1R [22] 244.0 km/h (151.6 mph)[23] 217.2 km/h (135.0 mph)[24]
11 United States Roscoe Tanner 246.2 km/h (153 mph) 1978 American Airlines Tennis Games Singles F [25]
12Sweden Joachim Johansson 244.6 km/h (152.0 mph) 2004 Davis Cup Doubles 1R [26]
Spain Feliciano López244.6 km/h (152.0 mph)2014 Aegon Championships Singles 1R [27] 223.7 km/h (139.0 mph) 194.7 km/h (121.0 mph)
14Romania Marius Copil244.0 km/h (151.6 mph)2016 European OpenSingles QF [28] 226.9 km/h (141.0 mph)-244.6 km/h (152.0 mph) 202.8 km/h (126.0 mph)
15Australia Alexei Popyrin243.0 km/h (151.0 mph)2023 TokyoSingles QF [citation needed]
Poland Hubert Hurkacz243.0 km/h (151.0 mph)2016 Davis CupSingles 1R [citation needed] 215.7 km/h (134.0 mph) 194.7 km/h (121.0 mph)
17Germany Oscar Otte243.0 km/h (151.0 mph)2021 US Open Singles 4R [29]
18United States Ben Shelton 241.4 km/h (150.0 mph) 2025 BNP Paribas Open Singles 2R [30]
19United States Taylor Dent241.0 km/h (149.8 mph)2006 ABN AMRO World Tennis TournamentSingles 1R [19]
20 United States Reilly Opelka 240.3 km/h (149.3 mph) 2021 Australian Open Singles 2R [31]
21Latvia Ernests Gulbis 240 km/h (149.1 mph) 2007 St. Petersburg Open Singles ? [citation needed]
Argentina Juan Martín del Potro240 km/h (149.1 mph)2017 Stockholm OpenSingles F [32] 218.9 km/h (136.0 mph) 193.1 km/h (120.0 mph)
23United Kingdom Greg Rusedski 239.8 km/h (149 mph) 1998 Newsweek Champions Cup Singles SF [33]
24Russia Dmitry Tursunov237.0 km/h (147.3 mph)2006 Davis CupSingles SF [34]
France Paul-Henri Mathieu 237.0 km/h (147.3 mph) 2007 Davis Cup Singles QF [citation needed]
France Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 237.0 km/h (147.3 mph) 2014 Rogers Cup Singles QF [35]
United States Frances Tiafoe 237.0 km/h (147.3 mph) 2018 Estoril Open Singles F [citation needed]
Spain Bernabé Zapata Miralles237.0 km/h (147.3 mph)2022 Monte-CarloSingles Q [36]
29 United States Taylor Fritz236.6 km/h (147.0 mph)2020 US OpenSingles 3R [37] 218.9 km/h (136.0 mph) 186.7 km/h (116.0 mph)
Germany Alexander Zverev 236.6 km/h (147.0 mph) 2021 BNP Paribas Open Singles 2R [38]
31Chile Fernando González236.0 km/h (146.6 mph)2007 Italian OpenSingles SF [39]
32France Gaël Monfils 235.0 km/h (146.0 mph)2007 Legg Mason Tennis ClassicSingles QF [note 3][19]
Serbia Dušan Vemić235.0 km/h (146.0 mph)2008 Countrywide ClassicSingles ? [19]
Croatia Marin Čilić 235.0 km/h (146.0 mph) 2016 Davis Cup Singles 1R [citation needed]
Italy Matteo Berrettini 235.0 km/h (146.0 mph) 2021 Mutua Madrid Open Singles F [41] 228.5 km/h (142.0 mph) 204.4 km/h (127.0 mph)
36 Croatia Ivan Ljubičić 234.0 km/h (145.4 mph) 2005 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid Singles F [42]
Lithuania Ričardas Berankis 234.0 km/h (145.4 mph) 2011 Open d'Orléans Singles 1R [43]
Switzerland Stan Wawrinka 234.0 km/h (145.4 mph) 2016 Davis Cup Doubles SF [44]
39 United Kingdom Andy Murray233.4 km/h (145.0 mph)2007 SAP Open Singles 1R [45]
Bulgaria Grigor Dimitrov 233.4 km/h (145.0 mph)2013 Aegon Championships Singles ? [citation needed]
Serbia Viktor Troicki 233.4 km/h (145.0 mph) 2017 Davis Cup Singles ? [citation needed]
Poland [Tomasz Berkieta]233.4 km/h (145.0 mph)2024 Australian Open – Boys' singles 2R 1R [46]
43 Chile Nicolás Jarry233.0 km/h (144.8 mph)2018 Davis Cup ? 1R [47]
44 Spain Fernando Verdasco 232.0 km/h (144.2 mph)2009 French Open ? ? [19]
Austria Dominic Thiem 232.0 km/h (144.2 mph)2017 Gerry Weber Open ? ? [citation needed]
United States Ben Shelton 232.0 km/h (144.2 mph) 2026 Australian Open Singles QF [48]
46United States Mardy Fish 231.7 km/h (144.0 mph)2007 Pacific Life Open Singles 1R [19]
Poland Marcin Matkowski231.7 km/h (144.0 mph)2009 ATP World Tour Finals Doubles ? [citation needed]
48 Russia Pavel Kotov 231.0 km/h (143.5 mph) 2025 Australian Open Singles 1R [49]
49 Sweden Robin Söderling 230.1 km/h (143.0 mph) 2010 ATP World Tour Finals Singles RR [50]
Germany Daniel Brands 230.1 km/h (143.0 mph) 2011 Intersport Heilbronn Open ? ? [citation needed]
Czech Republic Jiří Veselý230.1 km/h (143.0 mph)2014 WimbledonSingles 2R [51]
Georgia (country) Nikoloz Basilashvili230.1 km/h (143.0 mph)2017 WimbledonSingles 2R [52]
Australia Nick Kyrgios230.1 km/h (143.0 mph)2019 WimbledonSingles 2R [53] 223.7 km/h (139.0 mph) 194.7 km/h (121.0 mph)
Kazakhstan Alexander Bublik 230.1 km/h (143.0 mph) 2022 Indian Wells Singles 2R [54] 215.7 km/h (134.0 mph) 202.8 km/h (126.0 mph)
55Netherlands Martin Verkerk 230.0 km/h (142.9 mph) 2003 Breil Milano Indoor ? ? [citation needed]
Switzerland Roger Federer 230.0 km/h (142.9 mph) 2010 Gerry Weber Open Singles F [55]
Close
  1. He has a recorded serve speed of 4,718 km/h (2,932 mph) according the ATP tour match statistics against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 Italian Open, but this record is assumed to be a recording error.[14]
  2. His fastest verified serve clocked in at 149.3 mph (240 km/h) in the 2013 Davis Cup and he produced a 150.4 mph (242 km/h) serve during his run in the 2012 Paris Masters, but it was a let.[17]
  3. He had a recorded speed of 242.0 km/h (150 mph) at 2018 Wimbledon, but officials revoked the reading due to errors with the radar gun.[40]

Women

The WTA doesn't keep official serve speed rankings of its own for all its events for a variety of reasons—mainly that serve speed isn't captured on every court at every tournament, and sometimes the technology being used isn't consistent from event to event. The Women's Tennis Association does have an external partner that it officially recognizes which measures and maintains serve speed data at selected number of events. It does not recognize at all, nor keep tabs of speed records set outside the main draw phase of WTA Tour tournaments. Therefore, serve speeds recorded from the qualifying phase of WTA tournaments are not added to the official WTA serve speed statistics. Also WTA tournament serve speeds recorded by different measurement systems or brands (at the discretion of the host or organizer) that are not using technology provided by ATP/WTA's official supplier or partner (currently SMT/IDS), or speeds recorded at any of the non-WTA professional women's tournaments such as the ITF Women's Circuit, the Fed Cup, and Olympics tennis are not added to WTA's official list of records.

  Not recognized by WTA
More information Rank, Player ...
Rank Player Speed[56] Event[note 1] Ref.
1 Spain Georgina García Pérez220 km/h (136.7 mph)2018 Hungarian Ladies Open[57]
2 Belarus Aryna Sabalenka 214 km/h (133.0 mph) 2018 WTA Elite Trophy[58]
3Germany Sabine Lisicki210.8 km/h (131.0 mph)2014 Stanford[59]
4United States Venus Williams207.6 km/h (129.0 mph)2007 US Open[60]
United States Alycia Parks 207.6 km/h (129.0 mph) 2021 US Open [61]
6United States Serena Williams 207 km/h (128.6 mph)2013 Australian Open[62]
7United States Coco Gauff206 km/h (128.0 mph)2022 US Open[63]
Russia Liudmila Samsonova 206 km/h (128.0 mph) 2025 Wimbledon [64]
9Japan Naomi Osaka205 km/h (127.4 mph)2024 Abu Dhabi Open[65]
10 Kazakhstan Elena Rybakina 204 km/h (126.8 mph) 2024 Abu Dhabi Open[citation needed]
11 France Caroline Garcia203 km/h (126.1 mph)2016 Fed Cup[citation needed]
12Netherlands Brenda Schultz-McCarthy202.7 km/h (126.0 mph)2007 Indian Wells Masters[66]
13 France Kristina Mladenovic 200 km/h (124.3 mph) 2009 French Open [citation needed]
Close
  1. "IDS (Information and Display Systems) only collects serve speed data on show courts at certain events (11 in 2014) and started doing so in 1989 ... Players who have had multiple Top 10 fastest serves only have their top one listed, and if they hit that top speed multiple times, just the first time they did it is listed." http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/1978722/title/ids-serve-speed-leaders Archived 2016-01-01 at the Wayback Machine

See also

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI