Top 5 Servers on the ATP Tour in 2020

Serving is a key part of modern tennis.

As the game becomes increasingly faster and more reliant on power, a well-executed serve can easily decide a point.

Serving is also a key tool for some players on the ATP Tour.

Before getting this list started, it’s worth saying that Ivo Karlovic deserves an honorable mention.

As the Croatian veteran plays mostly at the Challenger Tour level now, he naturally didn’t make it into the ATP Tour top 5.

Karlovic, the tallest player in tennis history, remains the all-time leader with 13,599 career aces.

5. Reilly Opelka

Career aces: 1,586

The young American made the transition into the ATP Tour in 2016.

Opelka has only played in 80 matches at the Tour level but has already surpassed the 1,000 aces mark.

In fact, he led all ATP Tour players in 2019 right until the last week of competition but ultimately finished second behind John Isner.

He is on pace for another fantastic season, ranking second again with an average of 19.7 aces per match in 2020.

At 6ft11, Opelka shares the title of the tallest player in professional tennis history with Karlovic.

His towering height naturally helps him clock serves over 140 mph on a regular basis.

Opelka has hit 64.1% of his first serves this year, winning 79.5% of the points and winning an impressive 91% of his service games despite averaging 3.2 double faults.

4. Rafael Nadal

Career aces: 3,540

Nadal’s technique makes his serve particularly difficult to defend against.

A left-hander, the 19-time major champion knows how to use it to his full advantage.

While Nadal’s first serve numbers aren’t particularly outstanding, hitting 64.4% for a 75.6% success, his consistency jumps to the eye.

Nadal leads all players in 2020 with a 58.8% success on the second serve, while also holding his errors to a minimum with 2 double faults per game on average.

These solid numbers have helped him win 88.8% of his service games.

3. Roger Federer

Career aces: 11,365

Federer is third in the all-time aces list and is one of only four players to have surpassed the 10,000 mark.

While you won’t see Federer clocking serves above the 130 mph mark on a regular basis, his serve is just as deadly.

His ball placement and ability to hit it with effect make returning incredibly difficult.

Naturally, Federer’s above-average ball control lead to few mistakes, averaging only 1.7 double faults per match in 2020.

He has hit 65% of his first serves, winning 77.3% of the points.

Federer is second in second serve success, winning 58.3% of his points.

The Swiss have a 90% win rate on his service games this year.

Career aces: 7,601

Possessing one of the fastest serves on the ATP Tour, Raonic can hit the ball at over 140 mph on a regular basis.

Standing at a towering 6ft5, the Canadian can hit the ball from a high height, which naturally leads to a much faster serve.

Proof to this is his first serve success rate, leading all players with 83.4%.

While Raonic’s serve is difficult to defend, it can also be quite erratic.

The Canadian has hit only 61.8% of his first serves in 2020 while averaging 3.8 double faults per match.

This hasn’t stopped him from leading all players by winning 93.2% of his service games in 2020.

1. John Isner

Career Aces: 12,266

Isner is on pace to overtake Karlovic for the all-time lead in aces.

The American led all ATP Tour players in aces on seven occasions, including the last four years.

Isner has hit at least 1,000 aces every year since 2015.

Standing at 6ft10, he is the second-tallest player in tennis history, which helps him hit the ball at a much higher height than his opponents.

This leads to one of the fastest serves in the sport’s history.

Isner currently holds the record for the fastest serve ever, which he achieved in 2016 at the Davis Cup by clocking a 157.2 mph hit.

His success rate is equally impressive, hitting 71.1% of the first serves for a 79.6% success.

Isner has won 93.1% of his service games in 2020, placing him second behind Raonic.

His ability to win games on service usually lead to long matches, often going the distance in three or five sets.

Isner leads all players in tie-breaks played over the last 52 weeks with 57 – his closest competitor, Felix Auger-Aliassime, played 42 tie-breaks during the span.