By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty
Nick Kyrgios has released the Big Bang in tennis.
One of the most devastating servers in the Open Era, Kyrgios kicked off the New Year with a powerful statement.
Pegula: The Swiatek case inspires confidence and disappointment
The most massive server of all time is NO called Isner, Karlovic, Roddick, Ivanisevic or Kyrgios himself, said the explosive Aussie.
2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios said the biggest serve “by far” he’s ever seen belongs to the 6’8″ French tower of power. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The 21-year-old Frenchman fired a laser beam of first and second serves as he slammed down 36 aces to win a 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 Brisbane duel against Kyrgios.
Facing Mpetshi Perricard’s blasts for two-and-a-half hours, Kyrgios said the Frenchman’s flamethrower serve is second to none.
“Props to him. He’s a hell of a player,” Kyrgios said of the French powerhouse. “I played, you know, Karlovic, Isner, Raonic, all the big servers, and he hit the biggest serve by far. Yeah, it was interesting. And it was bad.”
The relentless pace and angle of Mpetshi Perricard’s rackets left Kyrgios at times looking like a man trapped at the wrong end of a shooting gallery.
“I definitely went into the match understanding how he played,” Kyrgios said. “I already knew he likes to hit two forehands, but he’s found what works for his style of play and he’s committed to that. He’s going to do some damage, for sure.
“He’s going to have a long career. He’s got a light action on his serve. There’s been no real drop in speed or anything like that.”
It’s high praise from Kyrgios, who hit 16 aces in his comeback singles match and reported feeling some pain in his repaired wrist afterwards.
Coach Patrick Mouratoglouwho has run two of the largest women’s servers in Serena Williams AND Naomi Osakaposted his picks for the top 5 servers of all time a few years ago.
Coach Patrick himself ranked Kyrgios as the best server of all time in his Top 5 Servers list:
1. Nick Kyrgios
2. John Isner
3. Andy Roddick
4. Ivo Karlovic
5. Pete Sampras
ex World No. 4 James Blake said Tennis Now he sees Isner as the greatest server of all time.
“Roger (Federer) was an accurate server and Roger was clutch. There’s something to be said for clutch, of course. I think it’s hard to beat 6’10” with a great swing, the angle he can create, he can hit. it’s all over the place,” Blake told Tennis Now. “John Isner doesn’t get enough credit for being a smart server as well. They think it’s all because he’s tall, but he’s also a very, very smart server.
“Kyrgios is also a smart server. I’d probably rearrange that list. I’d go with Isner, Roddick, Karlovic, Kyrgios, Sampras, yeah. The next honorable mention servers would be guys like Goran, Krajicek, Becker, Wayne Arthurs it was very extraordinary”.
The 6’10” Isner is the ATP’s All-Time Ace King with 14,470 aces in 772 matches, followed by Karlovic, who hit 13,728 aces in 694 matches, and Roger Federer, who hit 11,478 aces in 1,462 matches.
Mpetshi Perricard amassed 532 aces in 28 tournament-level matches in 2024.
Alexander Zverev was the leader of the ATP 2024. Zverev scored 797 aces in 90 matches.
