World number three tennis player Daniil Medvedev of Russia won the men's singles title at the Italian Open tennis title for the first time, defeating Holger Rune of Denmark 7-5, 7-5 in the final on Sunday.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal withdraws from Roland Garros and hinted 2024 to be his last season

This is Medvedev's fifth title this year and he has reached second place in the world rankings as well. Medvedev, who beat big-hitting Rune, as well as two-time major runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and Olympic champ Alexander Zverev on his way to a fifth title of 2023 (Italian Open) and 20th of his career. It's the sixth ATP Masters 1000 title for Medvedev, the 2021 US Open winner. With the win, he leapfrogs Novak Djokovic for the No. 2 spot in the world rankings. Which means he and Carlos Alcaraz, will reclaim the world No. 1 on Monday (22 May), will likely anchor the two halves of the draw in Paris. 

The match was delayed by one hour and 40 minutes due to rain. After the start of the Italian Open final, the 27-year-old came out and produced a consistent, clean-hitting display. He sat deep behind the baseline and absorbed pressure on the red clay in Rome. And he twice rallied from a breakdown in the second set against the seventh seed Rune. Rune was aiming to win his second Masters 1000 title, but failed to do that.

"I always want to believe in myself and I always want to win the biggest tournaments in the world. But at the same time, I didn't think I could win a Masters 1000 on clay in my career because usually, I hated it, I hated playing on it. I didn't feel good on it and nothing was working." said Medvedev, who dropped just one set en route to the title.

Also Read: Laureus Sport Awards 2023: List of Winners

At the same time, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina won the women's singles Italian Open final over Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina. Kalinina could not play the whole match due to injury. Rybakina was leading 6–4, one–nil when the match was called out.

Meanwhile, Hugo Nys of Monaco and Jan Zieliński of Poland won the men's doubles title. In the final, the pair defeated the Dutch pair of Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-1. While in women's doubles, the Australian pair of Storm Sanders and Elise Mertens of Belgium defeated the American pair of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-4.

Big-serving players have benefited throughout tennis history. One of the most advanced weaponry a tennis player may have is a powerful, well-placed first serve.

While most professionals can put the ball anywhere they want, only a few are capable of reaching speeds in the upper 140s and also the 150s.

However, We'll not limit ourselves to WTA-recognized fastest serves in tennis history for the applications of this top ten.

Therefore, without any further ado, let us dive right into the topic.

Read more: Top 10 fastest serves in Tennis history (ATP recognised)

Fastest Serves in Tennis History | Women's tennis

10. Caroline Garcia and Liudmila Samsonova (126.1 mph)

French tennis sensation Caroline Garcia and Russian player Liudmila Samsonova share the ninth spot on this list, chalking up a serve speed of 203 km/h (126.1 mph).

Caroline Garcia achieved her personal best at the 2016 Federations Cup in Strasbourg, where France hosted the Czech Republic in the final.

The host nation failed to outclass the Czech brigade in the summit clash and settled for a second-place finish.

Kicking off the top 10 list is the 6 ft” Russian, Liudmila Samsonova hit a 126.1 mph serve at French Open in 2024.

She has won five singles and two doubles titles on the WTA Tour, her first title being a WTA 500 title at the 2021 German Open. 

9. Elena Rybakina (126.8 mph)

9th on the list is Elena Rybakina, who left a lasting impression during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open with her serve clocking in at a remarkable speed of 204 km/h (126.8 mph). 

Rybakina is the first player from Kazakhstan to win a title at a major tournament, claiming the 2022 Wimbledon.

She has won eight titles on the WTA Tour, including two WTA 1000 titles at the 2023 Indian Wells Open and the 2023 Italian Open.

8. Naomi Osaka (127.4 mph)

Four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka is one of the WTA’s brightest talents whose well-rounded game includes a powerful serve that’s a crucial element in her success.

At the 2016 US Open, she hit her fastest serve at 125 mph (201 km/h).

After that, she broke her own record by serving at 205 km/h (127.4 mph) at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open.

7. Coco Gauff (128.0 mph)

Since turning pro in 2018, Coco Gauff has had one of the more powerful games on tour, and her career fastest serve is proof.

At the young age of 18, Coco hit her fastest serve, which reached 128 mph (206 km/h) while playing at the 2022 US Open. Born in 2004, she’ll have plenty of opportunities to break her record.

Gauff has already won a Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open and reached a final at the 2022 French Open.

6. Serena Williams (128.6 mph)

A list of the fastest serves in tennis history in the women's game would be incomplete without the name of the legendary Serena Williams.

Serena's strong serve has saved her numerous times, and it has been her go-to weapon under duress for more than two decades.

At the 2013 Australian Open, Serena didn't just hit one 203.0 km/h (128.6 mph) serve; she blasted two in her match against Garbine Muguruza.

Asked about her achievement in the post-match interview, Serena said - "It's my fastest that went in. I've hit some 150s, but of course, they're, like, to the sky."

4. Venus Williams and Alycia Parks (129.0 mph)

Venus Williams, and Alycia Parks share the fourth spot on this list, recording a serve speed of 207.6 km/h (129.0 mph).

Venus Williams, like her younger sister Serena, has a tremendously powerful serve in her arsenal.

She is one of the tallest female tennis players in the world, and her first serve is one of her most powerful weapons.

Venus, however, relies heavily on her first serve because her second serve is problematic, with a number of double faults occurring at inopportune periods.

Venus has hit 207.6 km/h (129.0 mph) twice in her career, once in the first round of the 2007 US Open against Kira Nagy and again in the 2008 Wimbledon final against sister Serena.

Another big-hitting female tennis player on this list, Alycia Parks, has an explosive game, which includes one of the WTA’s biggest serves.

In 2021 she hit her fastest serve ever at 129 mph (207.6 km/h), which she clocked during her first-round match against Olga Danilovic.

Alycia won her maiden WTA title at the Lyon Open, outclassing French No. 1 Caroline Garcia in straight sets in the final.

3. Sabine Lisicki (131.0 mph)

2013 Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki was one of the finest servers on the WTA Tour between 2011-2015, before injuries and bad form took a toll.

Despite being sensitive to "grass," the German regards the surface as her favourite.

In fact, she has had more success on grass than on any other surface, including four consecutive quarterfinal appearances in the Wimbledon Championships from 2011 to 2014.

Sabine Lisicki rewrote the record books by serving the fastest-ever serve on the WTA circuit in her match against Ana Ivanovic at the 2014 Stanford Classic.

The German breached the elusive 130 mph mark for the first time as she clocked a thunderous serve measuring 210.8 km/h (131.0 mph).

2. Aryna Sabalenka (133.0 mph)

With a powerful baseline game and serve, Aryna Sabalenka has proved herself as one of the WTA’s elite players.

Her serve speed has topped out at 133.0 mph (214 km/h), number two on the list of fastest serves in tennis history.

She achieved the feat in 2018 at the WTA Elite Trophy, a year-end tournament.

Known for her aggressive playing style, Sabalenka's powerful serve has become one of her signature weapons on the court.

She's one of the most in-form players on the women's tour at the moment.

1. Georgina García Pérez (136.7 mph)

Topping the fastest serves in the tennis history list is Spanish player Georgina García Pérez, who unleashed a monstrous serve with a speed of 220 km/h (136.7 mph) during the 2018 Hungarian Ladies Open.

However, Garcia Perez couldn't find her best potential in terms of her all-round game.

She struggled to make the top 100 of the WTA rankings and has never won a main tour title in her career.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. In Sinner's absence, Novak Djokovic is set to be the top seed in Men's singles at the Paris Olympics 2024. The brackets will feature 64 players, resulting in 16 seeded players. To win the gold, one must win six matches. The top 16 pre-seeded players won't face each other in the first two rounds. The players from the same country also cannot face each other in the first two rounds.

Read Also: Last 10 Wimbledon Champions List (Men's)

Paris Olympics 2024 Men's Singles Seed

Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career.

The favourite for the gold is world No 3 and third seed, Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz is making his Olympic Games debut and coming after winning the French Open and Wimbledon, making him the most in-form player on tour.

Alexander Zverev is also a contender for the gold. World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev will compete as an authorized neutral athlete and is projected to be the fifth seed.

Men’s singles seeds (as of 22 July 2024)

1. 1) Jannik Sinner, Italy
2. Novak Djokovic, Serbia
3. Carlos Alcaraz, Spain
4. Alexander Zverev, Germany
5. Daniil Medvedev, Authorised Neutral Athlete
6. Alex de Minaur, Australia
7. Casper Ruud, Norway
8. Taylor Fritz, United States
9. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece
10. Tommy Paul, United States
11. Ugo Humbert, France
12. Holger Rune, Denmark
13. Lorenzo Musetti, Italy
14. Sebastian Baez, Argentina
15. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
16. Arthur Fils, France

The life of a professional athlete is one of precision. Despite the capacity for careful calculation, they understand there will always be elements beyond their control. This may be why many athletes lean just as much on their pregame rituals as they do on their months of preparation. Because in the seconds before the big match, tournament, or race, who wouldn’t want any help they could get? Let's take a look at the top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024 that will help athletes get competition-ready.

Also Read: Most Olympic Games without any medal: Monaco, Myanmar and Bangladesh in top 30

Superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024

Nadal's on-court tennis rituals

Rafael Nadal is well-known for his many behaviours, both superstitious and routine. The on-court routine of Rafael Nadal has been among the most discussed topics in tennis. In almost every match, the Spaniard takes a sip of each of his two bottles and places them in a certain position. He meticulously arranges his water bottles so that the labels face the same direction. He also follows a strict sequence of actions, such as not touching the court lines and performing a specific routine with his shirt, hair, and face before serving a shot.

Naomi Osaka and her superstitions about bottles

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka wants her water bottles to be completely aligned. She believes most athletes have very strong superstitions. Like Nadal, her ritual revolves around the precise arrangement of the bottles, making sure they are facing the same direction and placed in a specific order.

Also Read: All-time Olympic medal tally: USA top with 2,629 medals; India placed at 58

Daniil Medvedev's eating habits

Daniil Medvedev also has the “crazy” rituals. He had one rigid routine that he followed before every match. Although Medvedev is pretty flexible when it comes to switching up his routines, he admitted there was one thing he always had to keep the same and couldn’t do even one second too late, which is his eating habits. Medvedev always eats exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes before his matches.

Gianmarco Tamberi's signature look

Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi known for his beard, which is half shaved, has been his signature style since 2011. Tamberi won the European Athletics Championships in Rome. After the competition, when he was presented with his gold medal during the awards ceremony, he stepped on the podium with his beard fully shaven. Tamberi has been ranked as the No. 1 high jumper in Europe for 135 weeks. He will carry the Italian flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Carissa Moore's husband wears her lucky socks

American surfer Carissa Moore, a five-time world champion, has a unique superstition that relies not on herself but on her boyfriend. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion firmly believes that her boyfriend's socks bring her good fortune on the waves.

Also Read: How many sports will there be at the Paris Olympics 2024? Which are the new ones?

Vashti Cunningham watches 'Kill Bill'

Vashti Cunningham, the American high jumper watches Kill Bill, the night before every competition. She also does Bible study along with her father before going out and getting ready for warm-up and jumping.

The World's biggest Tennis tournament, Wimbledon or The Championships is the oldest Tennis tournament so far. It is considered as the most prestigious tournament. It has been organized at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. Grand Slam has four Tennis tournaments, and Wimbledon is one of them. The Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open are the other three tournaments. Wimbledon is the only tournament played on Grass courts.

Also Read: Last 10 Wimbledon Champions List (Men's)

The Wimbledon Championship 2024 was the 137th time Championships. There were five main events, four junior events, and seven invitation events. Barbora Krejčíková in women's singles was proclaimed Wimbledon 2024 champion, she defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy. There are many more champions who have won women's singles titles. So, let's have a look at the women's Wimbledon Champion list from the last 10 years.

1. 2014 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Petra Kvitová

Petra Kvitova swept past Canada's Eugenie Bouchard with a stunning performance of controlled power to win her second Wimbledon title. The Czech sixth seed reclaimed the title she first won in 2011 with a 6-3 6-0 victory. It was the 24-year-old's second major title. Kvitova did a similar demolition job on Maria Sharapova to win Wimbledon for the first time three years ago. It was also the quickest ladies’ final at Wimbledon for 31 years, since Martina Navratilova, also a Czech and an even more famous left-hander, routed Andrea Jaeger in the 1983 final.

2. 2015 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Serena Williams

Serena Williams beat Spain's Garbine Muguruza to win Wimbledon for the sixth time and complete the 'Serena Slam' as the holder of all four major titles. The 33-year-old American won 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court to claim her 21st Grand Slam title and third of 2015. It's another mark in the history books for the player who many already consider the greatest woman to have ever played the game. Serena also became the oldest slam champion of the modern era by beating her excellent opponent, 12 years her junior. 

3. 2016 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Serena Williams

Serena Williams had finally won her 22nd Grand Slam title, besting Angelique Kerber in the finals at Wimbledon 2016. The American, 34, coped with a gusty wind on Centre Court to win 7-5 6-3. With this, she got her seventh singles title on the grass courts of The Championships, and she had finally tied Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open Era.

Also Read: Players who won the Golden Slam in their career

4. 2017 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Garbiñe Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza defeated Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 to clinch the 2017 Wimbledon women's singles championship, the second major title of her career. It was a strange contest, the first women’s final under the roof. The Spaniard finished as runner-up to the American's sister, Serena, in this same fixture two years ago but claimed some redemption after sailing to this year's crown.

5. 2018 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber beat seven-time champion Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon title and spoil the American's dream comeback as a mother. The German 11th seed, 30, beat the 23-time Grand Slam champion 6-3 6-3 to add this title to her 2016 Australian Open and US Open crowns.

6. 2019 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Simona Halep

Simona Halep has made Wimbledon history by becoming the first Romanian to win the Grand Slam with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over seven-time champion Serena Williams. She won her first Grand Slam title at last year’s French Open but had gone into her first final here as the clear underdog.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (WTA Recognised)

7. 2021 Wimbledon Championships Winner- Ash Barty

Ashleigh Barty claimed her first Wimbledon title - and second singles Grand Slam crown, beating Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 6-3 in a rollercoaster women's singles final. Barty, who claimed a first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros two years ago, was the first Australian to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since her idol Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the second of two Wimbledon titles in 1980. She was only the third Australian woman to triumph in the Open era, joining Goolagong Cawley (also the 1971 winner) and 1970 champion Margaret Court.

8. 2022 Wimbledon Championships winner- Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina became the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles championship with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory against No.3 Ons Jabeur.  After sealing her first championship point with a service winner, Rybakina celebrated the 1-hour, 48-minute win with barely a fist pump. In the first Wimbledon title match between first-time Grand Slam finalists of the Open Era,  Rybakina, 23, also became the youngest woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since 21-year-old Petra Kvitova in 2011. She was also the fourth-youngest active major champion on the Hologic WTA Tour, older than only Iga Swiatek, Bianca Andreescu, and Emma Raducanu.

9. 2023 Wimbledon Championships winner- Markéta Vondroušová

Markéta Vondroušová made history as the first unseeded player to win the ladies singles championship at Wimbledon in a stunning 6-4, 6-4 upset over the No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur, who was the runner-up for a second straight year. The 24-year-old lefty joins two other Czech-born left-handers, Martina Navratilova and Petra Kvitová to take home the Wimbledon title.

Also Read: Most Wimbledon Titles in Open Era (Men)

10. 2024 Wimbledon Championships winner- Barbora Krejčíková

Barbora Krejcikova is the Wimbledon ladies' singles champion after the 31st seed earned an impressive 6-2 2-6 6-4 win over Jasmine Paolini to claim the title for the first time. Heading into the Wimbledon final, Krejcikova was a seven-time Major doubles champion, the 2021 French Open singles winner and an Olympic gold medallist. She had even completed the career Slam in doubles, winning each of the four big titles at least once.

Novak Djokovic moved one win closer to capturing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title when he ended 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti's dream in straight sets and sought revenge on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz match will be the rematch of last year's final which the Spaniard won in five sets.

Also Read: Most Grand Slam finals in tennis history

If the 37-year-old Serbian wins a record-tying 25th major on Sunday, he will become the oldest champion in Wimbledon history. Djokovic, leading Alcaraz 3-2 in the ATP head2head series, will be eager to avenge that defeat and equal Roger Federer's record eight Wimbledon crowns.

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz Match Info

• Men's Singles Final: July 14, Sunday
• Venue: AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Ground
• Location: London, England
• Court Surface: Grass

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Form against each other

In the past two years against one another, Djokovic has three wins and Alcaraz has one. In their last match, on November 18, 2023, Djokovic won 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic has clinched nine sets against Alcaraz (64.3%), while Alcaraz has taken five. In 136 total games against one another, Djokovic has taken 77, while Alcaraz has claimed 59. When going head-to-head, Alcaraz and Djokovic have averaged 34 games and 3.5 sets in their four matches against each other.

Djokovic's 2024 performance

Djokovic has captured zero tournament victories on the year, with an overall record of 16-6. In 2024, Djokovic hasn't yet played a match on grass. He is averaging 27.3 games per match (33.2 in best-of-five matches) through his 22 matches played this year across all court surfaces, posting a 57.7% game-winning percentage. Djokovic has put up a service game-winning percentage of 82.1% on all surfaces (247-for-301 in service games) and a return game-winning percentage of 33.1% (99-for-299 in return games).

Also Read: Most Matches Played in Grand Slam

Alcaraz's 2024 performance

Alcaraz has won two of his nine tournaments this year, with an overall match record of 32-6. He has a match record of 7-1 on grass courts so far this year. Alcaraz has competed in 38 matches this year (across all court types), and 26.6 games per match (34.4 in best-of-five matches). The World No. 3 has won 35.6% of his return games this year, while also winning 83.5% of his service games.