Mouratoglou: “Isner has the best serve in tennis history”

Tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou has recently revealed his top five servers of all time, with a few surprising results mixed into the list. From Sampras to Kyrgios, here’s a look at what the man who used to coach Serena Williams had to say about the best servers in tennis history:

5. Goran Ivanisevic 

Before he became Novak Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic was a formidable tennis player. His serve was so formidable that he was among the players who influenced the ATP to slow down court surfaces. According to Mouratoglou, being left-handed added an extra layer of complexity for opponents trying to read and return Ivanisevic’s serves, putting him at number five on the Frenchman’s list of the best servers in history.

“You probably know Goran Ivanisevic who is Novak Djokovic’s coach. When he emerged as a young gun on the Tour in the 90s, he was one of the players who forced the decision of the ATP to slow the surfaces,” Mouratoglou explained. “He was making an incredible number of aces and serve winners at every single match when he was on court.”

“The Croatian was lefty, making his serve even more difficult to return. Especially when he was slicing it with a huge amount of spin, turning in the opposite direction of the righties.”

“He was due to win Wimbledon one day thanks to this weapon. He finally won it in 2001, and guess what? It was the last edition before the tournament decided to change the type of grass to encourage more rallies.”

Undoubtedly, Ivanisevic stands among the greatest servers in tennis history.

4. Pete Sampras

Despite being less than two metres in height, Pete Sampras possessed one of the most exceptional serves in tennis history. Renowned for his precision, he could target extremely small areas with remarkable accuracy. His toss was also impeccable, with opponents having no chance of knowing where his serve will go. According to Mouratoglou, these qualities put him fourth in his list of elite servers in the sport’s history.

“You may remember Pete Sampras as a player way under two metres tall and with an incredible serve,” explained Mouratoglou.

“The three things that were standing out about this serve were: His accuracy. He was known to be able to literally hit targets as small as a coin when he was practicing. His unique toss, all his opponents were saying how impossible it was to read his serve thanks to a toss that was the exact same, whether he would hit flat, slice or kick. And three, his second serve, that he was often hitting as hard as his first serve, with a huge success rate.

“He’s part of the best servers in my opinion.”

Whether or not Sampras could hold his own against today’s generation is another question, but the legend certainly deserves a spot on this list.

3. Ivo Karlovic

At 2.08 metres tall, Ivo Karlovic is esteemed as one of tennis’s premier servers. As Mouratoglou explains, his serves are renowned for their blend of immense power and precision, frequently resulting in aces. Remarkably, he holds the record for the most aces in a two-set match with an impressive total of 44. 

“Imagine: a giant of 2.08 metres serving bombs with incredible angles,” began Mouratoglou. “This man existed on tour, and his name was Ivo Karlovic.

“The Croatian scored a record of 44 aces in three sets in Zagreb in 2014. His second serve was also bouncing extremely high and was so difficult to return. On top of that, the Croatian was playing serve and volley, so he had a lot of success in serve plus one shots.

“And guess what?  He’s not the number one server of all time in my ranking. He’s only number three.”

Karlovic wasn’t just proficient in serving, either. He also demonstrated exceptional finesse at the net, which saw the Croatian reach a career-high of No 14 in the world.

2. Nick Kyrgios

You may know Nick Kyrgios more for his antics on the court, but the Australian is also one of the best servers in tennis. At just 1.93 m tall, Kyrgios is impressive. As Mouratoglou explains, he has the accuracy and power to win many, many points, alongside an incredible second serve. 

“For a guy his size, he serves gigantic without making a lot of effort. It’s purely the rhythm and that’s the best way,” said Mouratoglou of Kyrgios’ serve.

“Kyrgios’ serve is super compact. The rhythm is always the same. He has an incredible touch and we see that in his game. If you look at his hand, it’s completely free. So he has an incredible whip effect in his service and he’s very flexible. That’s why he’s able to find great angles, like short cross, which is the most difficult to play.

“It’s completely unpredictable. He can reserve any area and he always throws the same throw. His serve is impossible to read.”

Without doubt, Kyrgios is one of the best servers of all time, and comes in at number two in Mouratoglou’s list.

1. John Isner

Topping Mouratoglou’s list is American John Isner. Standing 2.08m tall, Isner has incredible serving technique and serves nothing but bombs. His second serve has such a high bounce that it’s extremely difficult to control. 

“John Isner has always had the best stats when it comes to serving,” said Mouratoglou. “Of course his height, 2.08m, was giving him a big advantage, but his technique was also incredibly clean. His first serve is a bomb, and he established a record of aces during a match of 113. 

“Not only was his first serve deadly, but he also has one of the best second serves of all time. His kick so high that if the opponent is not able to contact the ball at the right moment, he cannot control it.”

Few would disagree with Mouratoglou on this one, as Isner leads almost every serve stat across the ATP Tour despite having been retired for a year now.

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