A lethal serve is a fantastic asset for tennis players, with a handful of players standing out when it comes to the best ever in the eyes of Andy Roddick.
Carlos Alcaraz’s serving has really impressed Roddick lately, with his improvements in that area having played a key role in his flawless start to the season.
But the Spaniard falls short of two serving icons when it comes to the best serves that former ATP number one Roddick has ever seen.
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Andy Roddick says Ivo Karlovic and John Isner have the two best serves ever
Roddick said on his Served podcast: “The two best serves I have ever seen, where it’s like you put them on any human and their serve is better, are [Ivo] Karlovic and [John] Isner.
“I don’t know how you get around it. The two best serves I have ever seen. You can’t teach height and being 7ft helps.”
And focusing solely on Isner, Roddick said of his fellow American: “He would hit kick serves where he would hit it and you would just start laughing.
“He would hit one and it’s like you could be leaning there and he would make you look stupid.
“It would be like putting on a blindfold, knowing a piñata was somewhere in the field and trying to hit it. It was so dumb.
“When we would practice and warm up for him, I remember Larry Stefanki standing three feet inside the service line and hitting down.
“The other thing as a returning is that Pete [Sampras] had a massive serve but you were striking it in the same place you would strike most returns. It was just below the shoulder.
“Isner’s is a foot higher. So you are swatting at backhands as opposed to even bringing your left hand into it. It’s a joke!
“If you put John Isner’s serve against an amateur they are more likely to get wood on a 140mph one than the 107mph kick. It was the dumbest thing you have ever seen.
“The best serve of all time is Isner and Karlovic.”
Despite being the very best in that key area of the game, both Karlovic and Isner finished their careers without winning a Grand Slam.
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John Isner and Ivo Karlovic lead ATP serving stats
Roddick’s verdict perhaps isn’t a surprise to many, with formidable figures Karlovic and Isner boasting stunning serving stats.
As he mentioned, their height certainly worked heavily in their favor, with the former standing at 6’11” (211cm) and the latter at 6’10” (208cm).
A fantastic serve cannot be limited to aces alone, but both players unsurprisingly led the way in that area during their careers.
In fact, they remain in the top two spots when it comes to aces hit on the ATP Tour, with Isner in first and Karlovic in second.
The American hit 14,470 from his 772 matches, while the Croatian recorded 13,728 from his 694 matches.
For context, their fellow serving icon and 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is third with 11,478 from 1,462 matches.
The tables are turned for service games won, with Karlovic topping the pile with 92%, closely followed by Isner’s 91.81%.
| Rank | Player | Percentage | Games won | Total games | Matches |
| 1 | Ivo Karlovic | 92.00% | 8,845 | 9,614 | 694 |
| 2 | John Isner | 91.81% | 10,153 | 11,059 | 772 |
| 3 | Milos Raonic | 91.09% | 6,491 | 7,126 | 542 |
| 4 | Andy Roddick | 90.10% | 8,836 | 9,807 | 776 |
| 5 | Reilly Opelka | 89.55% | 2,855 | 3,188 | 237 |
| 6 | Roger Federer | 88.80% | 16,758 | 18,872 | 1462 |
| 7 | Pete Sampras | 88.74% | 9,443 | 10,641 | 792 |
| 8 | Nick Kyrgios | 88.57% | 3,649 | 4,120 | 305 |
| 9 | Wayne Arthurs | 88.24% | 3,339 | 3,784 | 274 |
| 10 | Matteo Berrettini | 87.82% | 3,605 | 4,105 | 316 |
Incidentally, Roddick is not far behind in fourth place, while Karlovic and Isner also occupy the top two spots for break points saved.
The likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will now be doing their utmost to enter the conversation, while Elena Rybakina is undoubtedly already there on the WTA Tour.
The Australian Open champion has recorded a mammoth 110 aces from her 15 matches in 2026, placing her at the very top of the list.
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