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

Why Are They Called Aces?

Unfortunately, there is no official origin for the term “Ace” and its application in tennis. However, many people believe that it is a term borrowed from the Ace you find in a pack of playing cards.

As it is such a decisive and effective shot that often takes the opponent by surprise, we could say that its function is similar to that of the ace in a deck of cards.

The ace is a card that can completely change someone’s fortunes in a game of cards and is often unplayable, just like a point scored directly from a serve in tennis.

There are also other theories that link the term “Ace” to honors and distinctions given to the best soldiers in battle, but this is a less likely explanation.

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.

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.

If we take a look at the statistics regarding aces, the American player John Isner has the most recorded aces in the history of tennis with 14,470.

Karlovic follows him with 13,728, and Federer completes the podium with 11,478, giving ample evidence that his serve was one of his most lethal and effective weapons.

The top 5 is finished off by the Spaniard Feliciano López with 10,237 aces and the Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, with 10,155 aces.

Among the current players, the only one in the top 10 for aces is Milos Raonic with 8,445. If his health permits, he may break into the top 5, although it won’t be very easy at 33 years of age.

Other players who deserve a mention are the Americans Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick. The latter had an excellent technique without being particularly tall. Ivan Ljubicic, who served as Federer’s coach in the twilight of his career, also deserves a mention in this area.

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.

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.