How Fast Can Tennis Star Serena Williams Serve?

In women’s tennis, Serena Williams remains the bar that top players must clear to become truly elite. Naomi Osaka might be the rapidly-rising face of the new generation.

But Williams still enjoys the cultural cache and maintains the on-court prowess to hold onto her title as the most famous tennis player on the planet.

The greatest serve of all-time @serenawilliams 😳🎾 pic.twitter.com/f9mGPXI3Cv

— espnW (@espnW) September 7, 2020

There are layers to William’s serving technique. The most impressive is, of course, her overall speed. Business Insider reports that her power serve averages 170 kilometers per hour (about 105 mph).

That’s 12 kilometers per hour faster than the average women’s tennis serve. Of all the aspects of her game, this is where her famously muscular build pays off in the most direct way.

Her topspin serve is a different beast. It tops out at 145 kilometers per hour, slower than some of her top competition. Accuracy is what makes switching to this serve so deadly in William’s hands. The ball spins out at the end of the arc, often crossing up her opponents in a direction Williams has full control over.

The final aspect of Williams’ serves applies to both her power and topspin approaches. This could be the underrated aspect of her game, that plays a big role in her many women’s singles title wins.