Top five fastest serves in Grand Slam history men's singles

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard holds the record for fastest serve in Grand Slam history.

A simplistic definition of tennis would be that it starts and ends with a serve. Thus, it does control the narrative of a match. A reliable serve is a valuable tool in the player’s bag of tricks. A blend of raw power and precision make up an ideal serve. During the initial years of the sport, the wooden racquets could not generate much speed because of its built and head shape.

Since the graphite racquet went mainstream in the 1990s, the speed of serves has seen an upward trajectory. The fastest serves in the current decade dwarf even those of traditional powerhouses such as Goran Ivanisevic and Pete Sampras, also known as ‘Pistol Pete.’ Ivanisevic had a reputation for his first serves, averaging 214 kmph (133 mph) consistently.

John Isner leads the pack in the ATP Tour’s history, unleashing a 250 km/h (155 mph) cannonball at Hubert Hurkacz – not too shabby a server himself – at the Citi Open in Washington in 2019.

An honourable mention is Australian Sam Groth, who let fly a 263 km/h (163 mph) serve on the Challenger circuit at a 2012 event in Busan, South Korea.

So, who are the players with the privilege of being the quickest servers in the history of Grand Slams?

Players with fastest serves in Grand Slam history

5. Taylor Dent – 148mph (238 km/h) – 2010 Wimbledon Championships

Known for his aggressive style of play, Taylor Dent served faster than most only reaching the ball for his initial return to the line. He did so in his first-round match from Gretha 2010, surpassing previous world records with a 148 mph serve. Dent was testament to his scoring abilities during that match serve with 7-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 against Djokovic. He held the record for 15 years, and it was finally broken in 2025.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in men’s tennis history

4. Ben Shelton – 149mph (240 km/h) – 2023 US Open

Like his countryman, Andy Roddick before him, Ben Shelton rattled the radar gun twice when setting a personal best for the fastest serve. At the 2024 US Open, he unleashed not one but two quick serves. His serve was clocked at 240 km/h (149 mph).

Shelton dished out both against countryman Tommy Paul in the fourth round, whom he went on to defeat 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. He got the better of Frances Tiafoe to make the semi-finals, but lost to Novak Djokovic.

The young American, Ben Shelton is responsible for one of the quickest serves of 2024 – clocking 241 km/h (150 mph) at the 2024 edition of the Indian Wells Masters. 

The current World No. 13 wrapped up the 2024 season with 505 aces and has crossed the threshold of 1000 aces in 2024 with a haul of 1026.

3. Reilly Opelka – 149mph (240 km/h) – 2021 Australian Open

Reilly Opelka, who stands 6’11” tall, clocked the second-fastest serve in Grand Slam history. The 240 km/h serve came at the 2021 edition of the Australian Open. The American’s average first serve speed that season was 211 km/h. Opelka made short work of Yen-Hsun Lu in the opening round before losing to Taylor Fritz in the second round.

Opelka’s second-fastest serve came in the 2022 Sydney Classics, clocking only a slightly slower 237.0 km/h (147 mph).

2. Andy Roddick – 152mph (245 km/h) – 2004 US Open

In 2004, Andy Roddick gave the crowd at Flushing Meadows something to cheer about when he unleashed two big serves at the tournament, pushing the needle at 245 km/h (152 mph). Roddick, or “A-Rod” as he is also known, had won the US Open title a year before against Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets.

The first of the serves was during his opening round 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 win over wildcard and American teenager Scoville Jenkins. The second was during his 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 victory in the next round against another teenager – Rafael Nadal, who was unseeded at the event.

Roddick’s record holds even two decades later as the quickest serve at Flushing Meadows, with Ben Shelton coming close in 2023. The American notched up 1017 aces in 2004 among a career total of 9074.

1. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – 153mph (246.23 km/h) – 2025 Wimbledon

French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard broke the record for the fastest serve in Grand Slam history in the 2025 edition of Wimbledon Championships when he launched a 153mph rocket against Taylor Fritz in the first-round.

Standing at 6’8″, Giovanni hit that serve in the first game of his first round match. Not only is it now the fastest serve in Slam history, but also the fastest in Wimbledon history. Ironically, the serve was down the middle and Fritz went on to win the point.

Perricard smashed the previous Wimbledon record held by Taylor Dent, when she served 148mph in 2010.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram