Aces in Tennis: What They Are and How to Be Proficient at Them

Aces are one of the most spectacular and effective shots in tennis

But what are aces in tennis? Read on and find out all about them!

Some of the greatest players in tennis history have built their entire game around their impressive ability to win vital points with a well-executed ace. This is why this skill is practiced extensively in tennis academies and camps.

In recent times, players like Andy Roddick and Ivo Karlovic have topped the charts for aces on the men’s circuit, with aces being their main weapon to create match-winning situations.

Aces are one of the most spectacular and effective shots in tennis, but what are aces in tennis? Read on and find out all about them!

Some of the greatest players in tennis history have built their entire game around their impressive ability to win vital points with a well-executed ace. This is why this skill is practiced extensively in tennis academies and camps.

In recent times, players like Andy Roddick and Ivo Karlovic have topped the charts for aces on the men’s circuit, with aces being their main weapon to create match-winning situations.

Although she was an incredible all-round player on the women’s circuit, Serena Williams also stood out for the number of aces she served per match, and her sheer physical power really stood out among her fellow players.

Because of their importance, today we would like to talk about everything you need to know about aces in tennis, where the term comes from, the best ace-serving tennis players, and how to improve your technique and hit more and more aces in your matches.

What are Aces in Tennis? Definition

Aces are when a player wins a point directly from their serve.

However, to be considered an ace, the opposing player mustn’t touch the ball with their racket, even with a deflection.

So, just to make things doubly clear, aces are when you win a point from a serve without any contact being made with the opponent’s racket.

Who Is the Best Ace-Serving Player in the World?

Currently, there aren’t too many players with the traditional serve-and-volley style of game that was perhaps more frequent two or three decades ago.

However, in recent months, a player by the name of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard has emerged, a 6 foot 8-inch French tennis player who has already broken some records with his serve despite being only 21 years old.

A month ago, he managed to hit 51 aces in a single match. This occurred in a match at Wimbledon 2024 against Sebastian Korda.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard one of the best in the world at making aces in tennis

The figure of 51 aces is the sixth highest for a match played over five sets. Perricard has been dubbed by the media as the hope for the return to the golden age of tennis, as he also has a one-handed backhand in his repertoire of strokes, which is rarely seen these days.

We must also mention the Canadian Milos Raonic. Despite having suffered many injuries over the past few years, Raonic has been able to bounce back, and this year he broke the record for the number of aces in a three-set match.

In his first match of the 2024 Queen’s Club Championship, Raonic hit 47 aces against Cameron Norrie in a match that was decided by an exciting tiebreak in the third set.

Both Mpetshi Perricard and Raonic are poised to follow in the footsteps of great serving legends like John Isner, Ivo Karlovic, and Roger Federer himself, who ranks third of all time in aces served.

Hitting Aces: How to Improve

The key to hitting more aces is to focus your training fully on your serving technique.

The serve is one of the most challenging skills to master in tennis. It requires coordination of the upper and lower limbs and a fluid action that will provide the necessary power and direction in the shot without knocking the player out of position at the end of the serve.

The first thing is to check both your grip on the racket and how you hold the ball when throwing it upwards. The player should feel comfortable with both, otherwise it will reduce the fluidity and effectiveness of the serve.

Try to throw the ball at shoulder height without too much force, just enough to give you the time needed to hit it at the right moment.

Student practicing his tennis aces at our camp

When hitting the ball, make sure your racket is pointing directly towards the area of the court you want to direct the serve to.

For more advanced players, it is also important to learn how to apply different spin effects to the ball. This will make your serves more unpredictable for the opponent and prevent you from always relying simply on your power to make an ace.

Of course, the key to fully mastering the service technique and hitting more aces hinges on regular training sessions each week.

Coaches at tennis academies often place a lot of emphasis on the serve.

It is important to realize that skills are developed and sharpened in training and then put into practice on the court against your opponents. Any player who wants to improve their array of strokes, their technique, and other aspects of their game simply needs to dedicate time to training.

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