Alright, let’s talk about them tennis serves, the real fast ones, you know? The ones that make your eyes pop outta your head.
Fastest Serves Ever, Like a Bullet!
So, I heard tell that this fella, Sam Groth, he whacked one at somethin’ like 163.4 miles per hour. That’s 263 kilometers, if you’re fancy. Happened in 2012, Busan Open they called it. Now, that ain’t no fancy-pants tournament, but a serve’s a serve, fast is fast, ain’t it? He done smacked another one real good at Wimbledon too, 147 miles per hour. Not as fast, but still somethin’ to write home about.
Then there’s this Milos Raonic fella. He got one up to 155.3 miles per hour at some SAP Open thingy back in 2012 too. That’s 250 kilometers. Folks say that’s one of the fastest ever, so he’s up there with the big boys.
And get this, at Wimbledon in 2024, some young whippersnapper named Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, he hit one at 140 miles per hour. Fast, but not the fastest, you see. The fella who won it all, Carlos Alcaraz, his fastest was 136 miles per hour. So, speed ain’t everything, I guess. You gotta be able to play the game too, not just hit it hard.
Now, I heard tell of a fella named John Isner. Big fella, real tall. They say he smacked one at 157.2 miles per hour in 2016, Davis Cup they called it. That’s 253 kilometers for you folks who like that metric stuff. Folks say that’s the tippy-top fastest ever recorded on the tour, so maybe that Sam fella was in a smaller game, I don’t rightly know. But John, he’s up there with the best of ’em.
- Sam Groth: 163.4 mph (263 km/h) at 2012 Busan Open Challenger
- Milos Raonic: 155.3 mph (250 km/h) at 2012 SAP Open
- John Isner: 157.2 mph (253 km/h) at 2016 Davis Cup
- Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: 140 mph at 2024 Wimbledon
- Carlos Alcaraz: 136 mph at 2024 Wimbledon
They got these women players too, hitting it hard. But they don’t keep track of their speeds so good, it seems. Something about not havin’ the right gizmos on every court. But them gals are strong, don’t you doubt it.
Heck, I even heard about some fella way back when, Jack Harper his name was. In 1946, he beat some fella 6-0, 6-0 in just 18 minutes. Now, that ain’t exactly about serve speed, but it tells you something. He musta been hittin’ it hard and fast, and the other fella couldn’t even touch it. Maybe he was the fastest back then, who knows?
And at the US Open, they say this German fella, Oscar Otte, he hit a real zinger. Don’t know how fast, but folks were talkin’ about it.
So, there you have it. A bunch of names and numbers, all about hittin’ that fuzzy yellow ball real, real fast. Who’s the fastest? Well, it depends on who you ask and what game you’re lookin’ at. But one thing’s for sure, these tennis folks, they can sure make that ball fly. They hit it so hard, sometimes I wonder if the ball even sees where it’s goin’. And it all happens so fast, you blink and you miss it. That’s why they call it fast, I reckon. Just like a blink of an eye, whoosh, and it’s over.
Why a Fast Serve Matters
Now, you might be thinkin’, “Why’s it matter how fast they hit it, long as it goes in?” Well, let me tell you, a fast serve can win you a point right quick. Boom! Ace! The other fella don’t even have a chance to swing. And if they do get a racket on it, they might just pop it up for an easy put-away. So, a fast serve, it’s a weapon, like a good strong right hook in a boxing match.
But it ain’t just about power. You gotta be accurate too. Can’t be hittin’ it into the net or out of bounds. That don’t do nobody no good. So, these players, they practice and practice, gettin’ that serve just right. Fast and accurate, that’s the ticket.
And it ain’t just the serve, mind you. You gotta be able to play the whole game. Runnin’, and hittin’, and strategizin’. But a fast serve, that’s a good place to start. It puts the pressure on the other fella right from the get-go. Makes ’em think twice before steppin’ up to the plate, so to speak.
So next time you’re watchin’ them tennis matches on the TV, pay attention to that serve. See how fast they hit it. See if they get an ace. And remember what I told you, it ain’t just about swingin’ hard, it’s about hittin’ it fast and puttin’ it where they ain’t. That’s the secret to a good serve, and maybe to winnin’ the whole darn match.