Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea for a while now – trying to figure out who really has the best serve in men’s tennis history. It’s a fun little project I’ve been working on, and I finally think I’ve got a list that makes some sense. You know how it is, you start with one idea, and it just snowballs from there.
First off, I started by digging through a bunch of articles and stuff online, just to get a feel for what people were saying. There’s a ton of opinions out there, which is no surprise. I mean, we’re talking about the best serve ever, right? That’s going to stir up some debate. Some articles talked about the fastest serves, like that guy Sam Groth who apparently served at 263.4 KMPH. Can you believe that? And then there’s this Albano Olivetti, who I’d never heard of, but he’s up there with a 257.5 KMPH serve. Wild stuff.
Then I started thinking about who really dominates with their serve, not just speed. You’ve got your big names like Roger Federer. That guy’s been at the top forever, and even though he’s not the tallest, his serve is something else. I read somewhere that he’s only 185cm, which makes his serve even more impressive. And of course, you can’t talk about tennis without mentioning Serena Williams, I know she is a female player, but her serve is just legendary. I watched some old matches, and the power and accuracy are just insane. I also found some articles ranking the top 20 serves, talking about power and effectiveness.
So, I started putting together my own list. It was tough, I won’t lie. You start weighing up speed, accuracy, the number of aces, how much they rely on their serve to win points, and so on. It’s a rabbit hole, really. But a fun one! I watched a lot of matches, some old, some new, just to see these guys in action. It’s one thing to read about their stats, but it’s another to actually see how their serve impacts the game.
My Criteria
I tried to be methodical about it, you know? I looked at things like:
- Speed: Obviously, a faster serve is harder to return.
- Accuracy: It’s not just about speed, but where they’re placing the ball.
- Aces: How often are they getting those unreturnable serves?
- Effectiveness: How much does their serve help them win points and games?
After all that, I finally came up with my list. It’s not perfect, and I’m sure some people will disagree, but that’s part of the fun, right? I’m not saying I’m some kind of expert, but I put a lot of time and thought into this, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s been a cool little journey, diving deep into the world of tennis serves. And hey, it’s given me a new appreciation for just how amazing these athletes are.