Tennis
What is an Ace in Tennis? Meaning & Key Facts
A serve with power, precision and exceptional placement…the ace. With the modern development of rackets and court surfaces, winning a point straight from the serve has become all the buzz.
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What is an ace? Simply put, it is a serve that is excellently executed that the opponent does not touch the ball with their racket, resulting in a point for the serving player. Within the exhilarating world of tennis, the art of the serve is often the key to victory. One stands head and shoulders above the rest though – the ace!
Serving an Ace in Tennis
Achieving an ace requires not only power and precision, but also strategic placement. It is the ultimate demonstration of skill and mentality on the tennis court. Although they are mainly seen amongst professional players, players at all levels of tennis look to hone their serving technique and increase their chance of landing an ace.
So what makes for a perfect ace?
The speed of the serve, the angle (in relation to the service box) of the ball on the serve, and often the added spin on the ball all come together to limit the chances of an opponent returning the serve, thus leading to an ace.
For statistical purposes, there is often a major correlation to the number of aces served in a match and the outcome of the match. Players such as John Isner and Milos Raonic are well known for their powerful serves, resulting in high ace counts, which pose incredible challenges to their opponents.
Where Did the Ace Come From?
The term ‘ace’ itself refers to a serve that is not touched by the receiver, resulting in the server winning the point outright. Interestingly, at tennis’ inception the ace simply began the point – which was characterised by long rallies, strategic plays and athletic excellence. However, as the sport evolved different skills became more prominent.
At the turn of the 20th century, players and coaches began to appreciate the value in an unreturnable serve. The reality was that it took the upgrade in rackets and court surfaces to usher in the idea that a serve could be a weapon – welcome to the world of the ace!
Tennis was originally played with bare hands where players used their palms for rackets! Rackets were only introduced in the 16th century.
Who Hit the Most Aces?
Roger Federer
A players who needs absolutely no introduction, Roger Federer is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time…oh and he also had a masterful serve. Federer is the tennis player with the third-most aces in the history of the open era. The Swiss Maestro landed a little over 11 000 serves in his illustrious career.
Ivo Karlovic
The Croatian, best known for his serving prowess, won 92% of the games that he started by serving! It’s an incredible record. His serve was one of the beauties of the game for sure, landing over 13 000 aces in his 21-year professional career.
Pete Sampras
Sampras was another absolute legend of the game, leaving him off of this list would just be simply ridiculous. The American was nicknamed “Pistol Pete” after his powerful and aggressive approach to games.
Interestingly, he would spearhead the approach of applying topspin to his serve and then rush the net and look to volley his opponents returns to end the point quickly.
John Isner
The man with the greatest number of aces in tennis history! Isner landed well over 14 000 aces during his career. Unfortunately, the American never managed to land a Grand Slam – his best result being a semi-final at Wimbledon – but he does have the honour of holding the record for the fastest serve of all time.
At a Davis Cup match in 2016, Isner produced a serve which notched up 253km/h on the speedometer. 253km/h!
Ryan Liberty is an experienced sports writer whose articles have featured in some of the biggest sports publications in South Africa. With a strong understanding of all major sports and an in-depth understanding of betting, Ryan consistently delivers insightful content. He's also known for his ability to break down complex topics into engaging, reader-friendly pieces.