Top 10 fastest serves in tennis history (WTA Recognised)

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 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)

10. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (126.0 mph)

At No. 10 is Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, a retired Dutch tennis player, who reached a career-high ranking of World No. 9 in 1996, the same year she reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the US Open. Prior to her retirement in 1999, Schultz-McCarthy was one of the few consistently good servers in the 1990s. Her fastest serve was recorded shortly after her return to professional tennis in 2005. Brenda Schultz hammered a 202.7 km/h (126.0 mph) serve against Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the 2007 Indian Wells Open.

9. Julia Gorges and Caroline Garcia (126.1 mph)

French tennis sensation Caroline Garcia and German player Julia Görges share the ninth spot on this list, chalking up a serve speed of 203 km/h (126.1 mph). Julia Gorges launched the high-paced serve during the 2012 French Open. She reached the third round at the Claycourt Major.

Caroline Garcia, on the other hand, 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.

8. Elena Rybakina (126.8 mph)

Eighth 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 has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 3 by the WTA. She is the first player from Kazakhstan to win a title at a major tournament, claiming the 2022 Wimbledon. Rybakina has won eight titles on the WTA Tour, including two WTA 1000 titles at the 2023 Indian Wells Open and the 2023 Italian Open.

7. 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 record by serving at 205 km/h (127.4 mph) at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open.

6. 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.

5. Serena Williams and Ivana Jorovic (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 Williams 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."

On the other hand, Ivana Jorovic registered her personal best during the 2017 Fed Cup. Jorović's powerful serve showcased her potential to compete at the highest level. However, she hasn't been able to break into the top 50 of the WTA rankings so far in her career.

Read more: Every Rafael Nadal's French Open stats that you should know about

4. Venus Williams, Alycia Parks and Ajla Tomljanović (129.0 mph)

Venus Williams, Alycia Parks, and Ajla Tomljanović 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. She, 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.

Ajla Tomljanović matched the impressive serve speed of 207.6 km/h (129.0 mph) during the 2018 Cincinnati Masters. Her powerful serve has allowed her to make an impact on the WTA main tour. The Australian is yet to win her first main tour title but has secured runner-up finishes on four occasions.

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 and recently won her first Major title at the 2023 Australian Open. The Belarusian is one of the favourites to win in Paris as well.

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.