The Serve

Space City Tennis's coaching staff believes the serve is the most essential stroke in competitive tennis. It's the one stroke completely under the players' control. While upper-body strength enables early-stage players to succeed, we believe in refining a holistic approach that focuses on maximizing technique to empower accuracy and velocity.  

 

Probability of Winning Service (PWS)


Space City Tennis has refined its Probability of Winning Service (PWS) theory over several decades as a core measurement in developing an effective, winning tennis game. SCT coaches refine the various aspects of serving, including foot positioning, knee engagement, hip rotation, grip, and ball rotation after the toss, to maximize each player's contact point. Calculating a player's PWS is the first step in many other components that define an effective offensive game plan. 

 

Recent PSW during the 2025 season:

  • Novak Djokovic = 69% first serve percent; 118 average serve speed = 81.42
  • Carlos Alcarez = 62% first serve percent; 120 average speed = 74.40
  • Jannik Sinner = 54% first serve in; 122 average speed = 65.88

 

Serve Speed Evaluation

Space City Tennis coaches utilize the latest technology to evaluate each player's serve speed and video analysis to assess stroke mechanics.

First serve percentage at the 2025 US Open 

 
Women = 62% tournament overall
  • Aryna Sabalenka = 65%
  • Amanda Anisimova = 52%

 

Men = 59% tournament overall
  • Carlos Alcaraz = 62%, and won 83% of first serve points played.
  • Jannik Sinner = 54%