Top 10 servers in tennis history

Service plays an important role in tennis. Holding your serve can put pressure on the opponent and getting those big serves in crucial points of the match can prove to be the difference between losing and winning.

#10 Roger Federer

One of the greatest players of all time, Roger Federer has won 17 Grand Slams in his remarkable career. The Swiss ace had an impressive 2014 season and will look to improve upon his career stats come next year.

No. of Aces – 8895 in 1177 matches

Career first serve points won – 43297 (77%)

Career service games won – 13206 (88%)

#9 Milos Raonic

The youngster from Canada is arguably the best server at the moment. He could find himself at the top of this list in a few years time if he continues to serve the way he has been during the last few years. He is currently ranked No. 8 in the world.

No. of Aces – 3747 in 244 matches

Career first-service points won – 9834 (82%)

Career service games won – 2886 (91%)

#8 Mark Philippoussis

The big-serving Australian never won a Grand Slam final. He reached the finals of the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, but lost to Roger Federer. His highest career ranking was No. 8 in the world.

No. of Aces – 6709 in 494 matches

Career first serve points won – 19192 (80%)

Career service games won – 5510 (85%)

#7 Richard Krajicek

Richard Krajicek is the only Dutch player to have ever won the Wimbledon Championships. He won it in 1996. He beat Pete Sampras in the quarter-finals which was his first ever singles defeat at Wimbledon between 1993 and 2000.

No. of Aces – 7694 in 616 matches

Career first serve points won – 23417 (81%)

Career service games won – 6808 (87%)

#6 John Isner

John Isner has the record for serving the most number of aces in a single match (112) in his epic match against Nicolas Mahut. Isner has never won a Grand Slam in his career till now.

No. of Aces – 6182 in 380 matches.

Career first serve points won – 17749 ( 77%).

Career service games won – 4884 (91%).

#5 Greg Rusedski

This Canadian-born British tennis player reached one Grand Slam final in his career and won 14 ATP titles. He reached a career high of No. 4 rank in his career. He retired in 2007 after playing for 15 years.

No. of Aces – 7605 in 693 matches

Career 1st serve points won – 25834 (80%)

Career service games won – 7630 ( 86%)

#4 Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career and occupied the No. 1 spot for a long time.

No. of aces – 8858 in 961 matches

Career first-service points won – 32756 (81%)

Career service games won – 9443 (89%)

#3 Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S Open and is the only Grand Slam win of his career. He is known for his fast serves and the ease with which he can hit aces. Roger Federer broke his serve just once when he won the 2009 Wimbledon Championships in a five-set thriller.

No. of Aces – 9074 in 780 matches

Career first serve points won – 30076 (79%)

Career service games won – 8836 (90%)

#2 Goran Ivanisevic

Another Croat finds himself right at the top of this list. Ivanisevic has won one Grand Slam in his career and as of now, he plays on the ATP Champions Tour and is the coach of 2014 U.S Open Champion Marin Cilic.

No. of Aces – 10183 in 895 matches.

First serve points won – 26959 (82%)

Career Service games won – 7922 (86%)

#1 Ivo Karlovic

This big serving Croat tops the list of the best ever tennis servers. He has never won a Grand Slam in his career, but has constantly caused a lot of trouble to players in the top 10, often causing upsets.

No. of Aces – 8995 in 482 matches

First Serve points won – 21383 (83%)

Career service games won – 5899 (91%)