The Fastest Serve in Tennis & 14 Other Great Tennis Facts

Here's what we'll be covering:

• Tennis serve speed
• History of tennis
• The science of tennis
• Global tennis tournaments
• Record-breaking moments in tennis

Fastest Serve in Tennis & Fastest Male Tennis Serve

The fastest tennis serve ever also happens to be the fastest male tennis serve, and it was done by Sam Groth.

In 2012, the Australian hit the serve at a speedy 163.4mph during a Challenger event in Busan, South Korea.

Some people actually contest this record because the Challenger event is not an ATP official event and uses equipment different from the equipment used in Grand Slam games.

Fastest Female Tennis Serve

Spanish player Georgina Garcia Perez hit her serve at a staggering 136.7mph. She currently holds the record for the fastest serve in female tennis history.

Although a relatively unknown athlete, Garcia Perez, who hit her recording-breaking serve at the 2018 Hungarian Ladies Open, is clearly a talented one.

Fastest Serve at Wimbledon

The record for the fastest serve at Wimbledon goes to Taylor Dent, who hit a serve speed of 147mph during a doubles match in 2010.

In 14 years, his record has not been broken. Could a new one be coming soon?

1. Racquets weren't introduced to tennis until the 16th century , which is when the game became a little more recognisable to what we now know it to be.

Shakespeare even mentions tennis in six of his plays.

2. Tennis is such an old sport that it was actually one of the nine original Olympic sports at the first modern Olympic games in Athens in 1896.

It continued to be part of the games until 1924, when it was removed due to disputes between the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The tennis governing bodies were also concerned that its presence in the games might overshadow Wimbledon.

It wasn't until 1988 that tennis became a full-medal sport again.

3. Modern tennis, which we're all familiar with today, was created in the late 19th century by Welshman Major Walter Clopton Wingfield.

He secured the patent for the game in 1874 and had it authoritatively signed by Queen Victoria.

1. Tennis is considered one of the healthiest sports you can do. Essentially, it's a full-body workout, using many muscles, including your arms, shoulders, back, core, and lower body.

The impact of hitting the ball can also improve bone density, especially in the playing arm, lumbar spine, and legs.

Tennis has a whole host of other benefits, including cardiovascular health, muscle tone, improved mental health, and social benefits .

2. In the 1980s, tennis players still used wooden racquets, unlike today, when current athletes use racquets made from materials like fibreglass and graphite. The latter materials are capable of producing more spin and power compared to wood.

This means athletes these days focus more on spin and power than on finesse and precision due to better equipment.

3. The ideal weight of a tennis racquet is 340g , which is about six times the weight of the ball. It needs to be light enough to swing quickly but heavy enough to maximise mass. This is how players optimise momentum on the ball.

Do you want to practice tennis like a pro? Read our 10 Quotes from Top Players on What It Takes To Succeed!

1. Andy Murray's 2013 Wimbledon win will go down in history books as one of the greatest moments in British tennis.

Andy Murray became the first British male to win at Wimbledon in 77 years . Fred Perry was the last British male to collect this title in 1936.

Thank you, Andy, for ending the almost 8-decade drought.

2. The longest tennis match in history, lasting almost half a day, goes to John Isner and Nicolas Mahut's 11-hour and 5-minute Wimbledon match in 2010.

The pair went at it for three days, and there were a total of 980 points.

Isner won the deciding final set, allowing him to advance to face Thiemo de Bakker. In just 74 minutes, Isner lost the match, which was the shortest men's match in Wimbledon history at the time.

3. Known as 'The King of Clay', Rafael Nadal holds the record for the most French Open titles, winning 14 times.

The athlete has also won 8 other Grand Slam titles, including 2 Wimbledon titles, 4 US Open titles, and 2 Australian Open titles.