15+ Fastest Tennis Serves in History (Men & Women)
The serve is one of the most important shots in tennis and is the biggest weapon for many players, and sometimes some absolute bombs are recorded!
This article has rounded up the top 15 fastest serves hit by both male and female tennis players as well as some of the fastest serves hit by the likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and many more!
Top 15 Men’s Fastest Tennis Serves
The fastest tennis serve from a male player is 163.7 mph (263.4 km/h). This was hit by Sam Groth in 2012 when he was competing in a Challenger event in South Korea.
Below you can view the video recording of him hitting the fastest serve:
However, as this is an ITF Challenger event, the ATP does not officially recognise it as the fastest serve on the men’s tour due to the use of different speed-tracking equipment.
On the ATP Tour, John Isner is the current record holder for the fastest serve at a speed of 157.2 mph (253 km/h) which he hit during the 2016 Davis Cup.
Below I have included a list of the 15 fastest tennis serves from male players:
Rank | Player | Country | Height | Speed |
1 | Sam Groth | Australia | 6'4" (1.94 m) | 163.4 mph (263 km/h) |
2 | Albano Olivetti | France | 6'8" (2.03 m) | 160 mph (257.5 km/h) |
3 | John Isner | USA | 6'10" (2.08 m) | 157.2 mph (253 km/h) |
4 | Jerzy Janowicz | Poland | 6'8" (2.04 m) | 156 mph (251 km/h) |
4 | Ivo Karlovic | Croatia | 6'11" (2.11 m) | 156 mph (251 km/h) |
6 | Milos Raonic | Canada | 6'5" (1.96 m) | 155.3 mph (249.9 km/h) |
7 | Andy Roddick | USA | 6'2" (1.88 m) | 155 mph (249.4 km/h) |
8 | Chris Guccione | Australia | 6'7" (2.01 m) | 154.1 mph (248 km/h) |
9 | Joachim Johansson | Sweden | 6'6" (1.98 m) | 152 mph (244.6 km/h) |
9 | Feliciano Lopez | Spain | 6'2" (1.88 m) | 152 mph (244.6 km/h) |
11 | Marius Copil | Romania | 6'4" (1.93 m) | 151.6 mph (244 km/h) |
12 | Hubert Hurkacz | Poland | 6'5" (1.96 m) | 151 mph (243 km/h) |
12 | Oscar Otte | Germany | 6'4" (1.93 m) | 151 mph (243 km/h) |
14 | Taylor Dent | USA | 6'2" (1.88 m) | 149.8 mph (241 km/h) |
15 | Ernests Gulbis | Latvia | 6'3" (1.91 m) | 149.3 mph (240.3 km/h) |
Fastest Serve from Popular Men’s Players
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is known for his elegance on the court but one of his biggest weapons was his serve. Not only because of how precise and consistent it was, but because was very fast. Federer’s fastest serve was 142.9 mph (230 km/h) which is still up there with some of the fastest serves on tour.
Name | Roger Federer |
Country | Switzerland |
Height | 6'1" (1.85 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 142.9 mph (230 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 1 |
Career Titles | 103 |
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic isn’t known for his serve, but it is definitely something that has been very reliable for him over the years. Whilst it isn’t up there with the fastest serves on tour, it is something that still causes a lot of trouble for his opponents.
Name | Novak Djokovic |
Country | Serbia |
Height | 6'2" (1.88 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 136 mph (219 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 1 |
Career Titles | 92 |
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is known for his big and powerful forehand but he also has a very solid serve. Being left-handed can also cause other problems for returners which is why his serve can be very effective. The fastest serve Nadal ever hit was 135 mph (217 km/h).
Name | Rafael Nadal |
Country | Spain |
Height | 6'1" (1.85 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 135 mph (217 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 1 |
Career Titles | 92 |
Andy Murray
Andy Murray is a player that has a very underrated serve. With his fastest serve clocking in at 145 mph (233.4 km/h) Murray is definitely used to cranking up the speedometer.
Name | Andy Murray |
Country | Great Britain |
Height | 6'3" (1.91 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 145 mph (233.4 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 1 |
Career Titles | 46 |
Nick Kyrgios
Not only does Nick Kyrgios have a fiery attitude, but he also has a very big serve. In fact, he is up there with the best serve on tour. Nick’s fastest serve ever recorded is 143 mph (230.1 km/h).
Name | Nick Kyrgios |
Country | Australia |
Height | 6'4" (1.93 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 143 mph (230.1 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 13 |
Career Titles | 7 |
Top 15 Women’s Fastest Tennis Serves
The fastest serve from a female tennis player was hit by Georgina Garcia Perez at a speed of 136.7 mph (220 km/h) which she hit at the 2018 Hungarian Ladies Open.
However, the WTA tour does not officially recognise this as the fastest serve as this was not at a WTA main draw level event. The fastest serve officially recognised by the WTA was hit by Sabine Lisicki in 2014 at a speed of 131 mph (210.8 km/h).
You can view the video of Sabine Lisicki’s serve below:
I have also included a list of the top 15 fastest tennis serves in history hit by female players:
Rank | Player | Country | Height | Speed |
1 | Georgina García Pérez | Spain | 6'2" (1.87 m) | 136.7 mph (220 km/h) |
2 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 6'0" (1.82 m) | 133 mph (214 km/h) |
3 | Sabine Lisicki | Germany | 5'10" (1.78 m) | 131 mph (210.8 km/h) |
4 | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | Netherlands | 6'2" (1.88m) | 130 mph (209.2 km/h) |
5 | Venus Williams | USA | 6'1" (1.85m) | 129 mph (207.6 km/h) |
5 | Alycia Parks | USA | 6'1" (1.85m) | 129 mph (207.6 km/h) |
5 | Ajla Tomljanovic | Australia | 5'11" (1.80 m) | 129 mph (207.6 km/h) |
8 | Serena Williams | USA | 5'9" (1.75 m) | 128.6 mph (207 km/h) |
8 | Ivana Jorovic | Serbia | 5'9" (1.74 m) | 128.6 mph (207 km/h) |
10 | Coco Gauff | USA | 5'9" (1.75 m) | 128 mph (206 km/h) |
11 | Julia Gorges | Germany | 5'11" (1.80 m) | 126.1 mph (203 km/h) |
11 | Caroline Garcia | France | 5'10" (1.77 m) | 126.1 mph (203 km/h) |
13 | Brenda Schultz-McCarthy | Netherlands | 6'2" (1.88m) | 126 mph (202.7 km/h) |
14 | Nadiia Kickenok | Ukraine | 5'8" (1.72 m) | 125.5 mph (202 km/h) |
15 | Lucie Hradecka | Czech Republic | 5'10" (1.77 m) | 125 mph (201.2 km/h) |
15 | Naomi Osaka | Japan | 5'11" (1.80 m) | 125 mph (201.2 km/h) |
Fastest Serve from Popular Women’s Players
Serena Williams
Serena Williams is known for her powerful shots and her serve is no different. With her fastest serve clocking in at 128.6 mph (207 km/h) this makes her one of the fastest servers on tour and a very scary opponent to play.
Name | Serena Williams |
Country | USA |
Height | 5'9" (1.75 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 128.6 mph (207 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 1 |
Career Titles | 73 |
Aryna Sabalenka
Standing at 6ft tall, it is no surprise that Aryna Sabalenka has a huge serve. In fact, she has the second fastest serve ever recorded at 133 mph (214 km/h).
Name | Aryna Sabalenka |
Country | Belarus |
Height | 6'0" (1.82 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 133 mph (214 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 2 |
Career Titles | 11 |
Venus Williams
Much like her younger sister, Venus Williams also had a very powerful serve. Her fastest serve ever recorded was 129 mph (207.6 km/h) which is faster than her sisters!
Name | Venus Williams |
Country | USA |
Height | 6'1" (1.85 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 129 mph (207.6 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 1 |
Career Titles | 49 |
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka has been a very successful player over the years with most of her success coming on hard courts. Thanks to her powerful serve, she has been able to win many matches including the US Open and Australian Open. Her fastest serve ever recorded was 125 mph (201.2 km/h).
Name | Naomi Osaka |
Country | Japan |
Height | 5'11" (1.80 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 125 mph (201.2 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 1 |
Career Titles | 7 |
Coco Gauff
Even at 18 years old, Coco Gauff is one of the fastest servers on the WTA Tour. The fastest serve she has hit is 128 mph (206 km/h) and I’m sure we’ll see much faster from her in the future!
Name | Coco Gauff |
Country | USA |
Height | 5'9" (1.75 m) |
Fastest Serve Speed | 128 mph (206 km/h) |
Highest Rank | 4 |
Career Titles | 3 |
Fastest Serves at Grand Slams
Australian Open
The fastest serve that has ever been recorded at the Australian Open was 150 mph (242 km/h) which was hit by Romanian player Marius Copil in 2015.
French Open
The fastest serve ever hit at the French Open was by Fernando Verdasco with a speed of 144.2 mph (232 km/h) in 2009.
Wimbledon
The fastest serve ever recorded at Wimbledon was 143 mph (230.1 km/h) which was hit by Jiri Vesely in 2014.
US Open
The fastest serve ever recorded at the US Open was 151 mph (243 km/h) which was hit by Oscar Otte in 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Fastest Male Tennis Serve?
The fastest male tennis serve in history was hit by Sam Groth in 2012 when he hit a serve at 163.7 mph (263.4 km/h) at a tournament in South Korea.
What is the Fastest Female Tennis Serve?
The fastest female tennis serve in history was hit by Georgina Garcia Perez in 2018 when she hit a serve at 136.7 mph (220 km/h) at a tournament in Hungary.
Who Hit the Fastest Serve in 2022?
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina hit the fastest serve in 2022 with a 156.6 mph (252 km/h) serve which he hit at the 2022 Rome Open.
Who Holds the Record for the Most Aces in Tennis?
John Isner holds the record for the most aces in a single match at 113 aces which he hit against Mahut in the longest match ever.
John Isner also holds the record for the most aces overall with 13,782.
What is the Fastest Second Serve in History?
Reilly Opelka holds the record for the fastest second serve ever hit at 144.8 mph (233 km/h). This was hit in 2021 at the Italian Open in Rome.
What is the Fastest Forehand in History?
James Blake holds the record for the fastest forehand ever hit with a speed of 125 mph (201.2 km/h) which he hit at the 2011 US Open.
Image Source: Tennismash
