She is the player who hit the fastest serve ever recorded in WTA history but never won a Grand Slam 

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Having a big serve can help a player become one of the best in the world.

Elena Rybakina is often called the best server on the WTA Tour right now, even being picked ahead of world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka has transformed her serve in recent years, using the help of biomechanical coach Gavin MacMillan, who is now working with Coco Gauff.

Rybakina, Sabalenka and Gauff are all Grand Slam champions, but the player with the fastest serve in WTA history has never won a major title.

Sabine Lisicki holds the record for the fastest official serve in WTA history

Sabine Lisicki has been ranked as high as world number 12 and stunned Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2013 in her run to the final.

The German was unable to beat Marion Bartoli in the final, but she made more history a year later on the hard courts of Stanford, California.

One of Lisicki’s big weapons is her serve, and in her first round match against former world number one Ana Ivanovic at the Bank of the West Classic, she hit a serve that was recorded at 210.8 km/h (131 mph).

This broke the seven-year record previously held by Venus Williams, and Lisicki still has the fastest serve on the WTA Tour to this day.

Despite making history in that match, Lisicki was actually beaten in straight sets by Ivanovic.

The now 36-year-old has not played a match since December 2023, but Lisicki has declared she is still not officially retired, but is currently pregnant with her second child.

Lisicki may have the fastest serve officially recognised by the WTA, but Spanish player Georgina García Pérez actually recorded a serve of 220 km/h (136.7 mph) in qualifying for the 2018 Hungarian Open.

That is not the only unofficial serve which is faster than Lisicki’s, with the aforementioned Sabalenka hitting a 214 km/h (133.0 mph) serve at the WTA Elite Trophy tournament also in 2018.

What is the fastest official serve in ATP history?

There is a similar situation in men’s tennis to the WTA Tour, with Sam Groth reportedly having the fastest serve, but it is not recognised by the ATP Tour.

Instead, the fastest official serve is actually former Wimbledon semifinalist John Isner, who hit a serve of 253.0 km/h (157.2 mph) in the USA’s Davis Cup tie against Australia in 2016.

Isner was renowned for his big serve throughout his career, and also holds the record for the most aces hit in ATP history (14,470).

A serving record was also broken earlier this year, as Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard hit the fastest serve in Wimbledon history in his first round defeat to Taylor Fritz.

This broke the 15-year record previously held by American player Taylor Dent, during his match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships.