WTA Tour: Caroline Garcia is the new service queen
The reason for Caroline Garcia's renaissance in the 2022 season? All in all, the French was the best server on the WTA tour.
by Robin Huiber
last edit: Nov 22, 2022, 08:09 pm
At the #NextGen finals in Milan something new was tried again this year: If a player had served with an ace or a double fault, then there was not the normal 25 seconds until the next point, but only 15. Transfer it If this were now on the WTA tour, then the greatest time savings would have been in Caroline Garcia's matches.
Because the French served 384 aces last season. And that during their 63 matches. If you take the average per match as a basis, then Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina would be the most spectacular server in the professional tennis circuit: Because Rybakina hit 370 aces in 57 matches, with six more matches and the same average, the native Russian, who plays for Kazakhstan, would have 408 .
Now it's not just aces that determine who excels in service. A combination of a high percentage of first serves is best. And a high win rate at these points. Alone: There is no overlap in the top five. Because Madison Brengle, not exactly known in the tennis circuit as a cannon server, may be the only player to have served more than three quarters of her first serves (in 27 matches), but in terms of success rate, the name of the American is missing at the top.
Swiatek in front on the return
The ranking list gives more information about the percentage of services won: And there Liudmila Samsonova, one of the climbers of the year, is ahead of Garcia and Rybakina.
Amazing, by the way: Iga Swiatek, the big dominator of the 2022 season, only appears in one category among the best servers - fifth in break chances averted. But the Pole's great mastery shows when her opponent serves. Because Swiatek was able to win 49.5 percent of all games as a setback.