The US Open is famous for its unique tradition and atmosphere. The likes of Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors have won five titles at Flushing Meadows. Federer’s five wins came in successive years. Meanwhile, the other two members of the ‘Big 3’, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have picked up the US Open title four times.
However, all these famous tennis names are missing from the list of the fastest serves in the history of the US Open. The final Grand Slam of the season also witnesses players breaking records around the courts. The fastest service record has seen the male players challenging and testing the limits. American players have been setting the standards in terms of the serve on the court.
Thus, without further ado, let’s take a look at the top five fastest serves in the history of the hard court Grand Slam:
Sam Groth holds the record for the fastest serve in tennis history. He set the record during the 2012 Busan Open Challenger tournament. Thus, his name was expected to be on the list. He faced Swiss maestro and five-time US Open champion Roger Federer at Flushing Meadows in the second round in 2014.
Facing the Swiss, he rocketed a lethal serve of 147 MPH/ 236.57 KMH. However, the 20-time Grand Slam champion returned the serve as if it were a normal baseline attempt and also won the match in straight sets. Interestingly, Federer is the only player on the list who returned the furious serve.
American tennis star Taylor Fritz locked horns against Canada’s Denis Shapovalov in the third round of the 2020 US Open. In the fourth set of the match, he recorded a resounding serve of 147 MPH/ 236.57 KMH.
It felt like Fritz fired a rocket on the court which the Canadian tennis star failed to return. However, Shapovalov won the match in five sets.
Also Read: Top five fastest serves in Grand Slam history on the ATP Tour ft. Nick Kyrgios, Ben Shelton
Taylor Dent had great potential; however, he failed to fulfill the same. A former World No. 21, he reached the fourth round of the 2003 US Open, which was his best finish at Flushing Meadows. Interestingly, at the same Grand Slam, he recorded a serve of 148 MPH/ 238.18 KMH.
During the Round of 16 at the 2024 US Open, Ben Shelton recorded the second-fastest serve in the history of the Grand Slam. At 149 MPH/ 239.79 KMH, Tommy Paul failed to return Shelton’s serve and eventually lost the match 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Shelton also scored 13 aces and saved 11 breakpoints. Since then, the American tennis star has reached speeds of 147 MPH to 149 MPH on multiple occasions.
US Open 2003 champion Andy Roddick holds the record for the fastest serve at Flushing Meadows. In 2003, Roddick notably won the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Masters and then the US Open. In 2004, he faced Rafael Nadal in the second round of the tournament.
Facing the Spanish tennis star, he smashed a serve of 152 MPH/ 244.62 KMH. Nadal had no chance of returning the serve as he stood still to respect the attempt. Rafael Nadal also lost the match in straight sets.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram
Jannik Sinner has had an interesting upbringing as far as his exploits in tennis are concerned. Early on in his childhood, the Italian star did a bit of skiing
American captain Bob Bryan has been ribbed by tennis fans for a selection gamble that backfired massively as Australia reached the Davis Cup semi-finals for the
Serena Williams and her sister, Venus Williams, burst onto the scene as teenagers-both being 14-year-old. Breaking numerous glass ceilings over the years, the t
WACO, Texas – Corey Craig claimed his first career ITA All-American honor by reaching the third round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Singles Championship. The Semin