Well, when you talk ’bout tennis serves, let me tell ya, there’s been some real fast ones over the years. The fastest one ever recorded, that’s a real doozy! It was by this fella, Sam Groth, from Australia. Now, his serve was so fast, I tell ya, it might’ve blown someone right off the court! Back in 2012, down in Busan, South Korea, Sam hit a serve that clocked in at 163.7 miles per hour! That’s 263.4 kilometers per hour, for them who like the metric system. That’s faster than the trucks that zoom by on the highway, ain’t it?
Sam Groth was playin’ against some Belarussian fella by the name of Uladzimir Ignatik in one of them Challenger events, and even though Groth lost that match, folks still remember that serve. 4-6, he lost, but when you’re hittin’ a serve like that, who cares about the score, huh?
Now, don’t ya think that Groth’s the only one with a fast serve. There’s plenty of other tennis folks out there who got some rocket arms, too. Take John Isner, for example. That big ol’ American has a serve that’s been recorded at 155 miles per hour, or 249.4 kilometers per hour. That ain’t too far behind Sam, I tell ya! Isner’s known for his tall stature, and when a fella like that gets his racket on the ball, it flies.
There’s also some other names you might recognize, like Roger Federer. Now, ol’ Roger, he might not have the absolute fastest serve, but don’t you dare underestimate him. He’s still one of the greatest players of all time, even without top speeds.
When ya look at the average serve speed in men’s tennis, most of ‘em hit around 120 miles per hour, or 190 to 200 kilometers per hour. For the ladies, it’s a bit slower, but still mighty impressive, sittin’ at about 105 miles per hour, or 170 to 180 kilometers per hour. But let me tell ya, Serena Williams, she’s another one to watch. Back in 2013 at the Australian Open, she hit a serve that clocked at 128.6 miles per hour! She said it was her fastest one that actually landed in the court. Can ya believe it? She said she’s hit some even faster, but they sailed right up to the sky!
Now, when folks talk about the fastest serves, they always like to make these lists of the top ten serves in tennis history. You got fellas like Greg Rusedski, Ivo Karlovic, and Andy Roddick who all had some serious heat on their serves. They may not all have hit 163.7 mph like Groth, but they sure know how to make that ball sing. It’s like a blur when they hit it.
And don’t get me started on the reactions of the poor fellas on the other side of the net! Can ya imagine tryin’ to return a serve that’s comin’ at ya faster than a car on the freeway? I reckon they must see the ball for just a second before it’s past ‘em, and all they can do is hope they guessed the right direction to swing!
All in all, tennis has had some real speedsters when it comes to servin’. From Sam Groth’s record breaker to the likes of John Isner and Serena Williams, these athletes sure know how to put some fire in their serves. Who knows when we’ll see someone break that 163.7 mph record? Maybe someday soon, some young gun will step up and smash it even faster. I wouldn’t be surprised!
Tags：[Tennis serves, fastest tennis serve, Sam Groth, John Isner, Serena Williams, tennis history]
