Photo by Raw Pixel, CC by 1.0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the purposes of this list, we\u2019ll stick to ATP recognised serves, so Frenchman Albano Olivetti, who managed the second-fastest serve ever recorded, also misses out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n