Top 10: The best servers of 2018 by unique metric – does Roger Federer feature?

Michael Graham
Roger Federer serves
Roger Federer serves

When it comes to assessing servers in tennis, it is easy to get preoccupied with aces. They are eye-catching and thunderous, after all. However, that also just highlights the good.

So, who were he best servers on the ATP Tour in 2018 going by the metric of aces per double-faults? Let’s find out.

10. Karen Khachanov, 4.088

The Russian had a big breakthrough moment when he won the Paris Masters at the end of the year, but it probably didn’t come as a huge surprise to many.

He was one of the best servers on the ATP Tour in 2018, which obviously helped.

He served around 4 aces per double fault and was fifth in the aces chart with 650.

9. Tomas Berdych, 4.310

Berdych is a surprise name on the list given his light schedule this season.

Given he is 25th in the list of aces per match in 2018 (8.23), his appearance here is probably more testament to his ability to avoid double faults than thunder aces down the court.

8. Milos Raonic, 4.330

If you measure it by ace percentage, the injury-plagued Raonic has been the best server on the ATP Tour in 2018.

An impressive 23.55% of his serves won him the point by themselves.

It would be great to see the Canadian back to his best in 2019.

7. Nick Kyrgios, 4.390

It’s no surprise to see Kyrgios impressing with aces, but it perhaps is a little surprising to see him avoiding sufficient double faults to make this list.

After all, discipline has never really been the Australian’s forte.

To his credit, only four players managed to serve more aces than Kyrgios in 2018. However, only 10 served more double faults…

6. Roger Federer, 4.700

Federer isn’t really what you would call a ‘big’ server, but what he is is a very very good one.

He might lack the raw power of many of his rivals but very few players boast the accuracy, finesse, and consistency of Feds.

The fact that Federer is still serving so consistently at 37-years-old is testament to his brilliance.

5. Juan Martin del Potro, 5.092

The serve has always been a huge weapon in Delpo’s armoury and that obviously still remains the case.

The Argentinian is perhaps surprisingly down in eighth place for amount of aces in 2018, but there is obviously very little wrong with his consistency.

4. Matthias Bachinger, 5.273

World number 130 Bachinger has played just 9 matches in 2018, but there has evidently been very little wrong with his serving accuracy.

He has served 58 aces to just 11 double faults. Impressive stuff.

3. Kevin Anderson, 5.950

Kevin Anderson serving

When Anderson’s serve is good, he tends to be good, so it comes as little surprise to see his best season to date coincide with such an impressive statistical serving performance.

Anderson is one of just two players to serve over 1000 aces in 2018.

2. Bernard Tomic, 7.143

Tomic may have lost his way and slipped to number 83 in the world, but his serve is still holding up as a very decent weapon.

The Aussie served up 150 aces in his 16 matches in 2018 at an average of 9.4 per match.

1. John Isner, 9.307

Isner topping a list of great servers is hardly going to surprise anyone.

He has, after all, served 1182 this year.

The American has proven to be consistent too, not having to risk his accuracy for full power.

He has served, on average, just 2.35 double faults per match in 2018, highlighting how great a weapon the serve is in his armoury.

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