Ace (tennis)


In tennis, an ace is a legal serve that is not touched by the receiver, winning the point. In professional tennis, aces are generally seen on a player's first serve, where the server can strike the ball with maximum force and take more chances with ball placement, such as the far corners of the service box. According to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, this term was coined by the sports journalist Allison Danzig.

Professional singles records

Aces have been officially recorded by the top-level professional tennis circuits since 1991, so these records start at that time.
Only main draw singles matches are included here.

ATP Tour

has the most aces in a tournament with 214 during the 2018 Wimbledon, and he has the most in a single match with 113 during his 11 hour encounter with Nicolas Mahut in 2010. He is also second on the most aces in career list.
Ivo Karlović has the most career aces with 13,582. He also has the most in a best-of-three-set match with 45 at Halle in 2015. Two weeks later, during Wimbledon, he became the only player to hit at least 40 aces in three consecutive matches.
Goran Ivanišević has the most in a single season with 1,477 in 1996. He also has the second most in a tournament with 213 when he won the 2001 Wimbledon title.
Roger Federer hit 50 aces in the 2009 Wimbledon final, the record for a Grand Slam final. He is also third on the career list.
;Most aces in a match
#Player/OpponentRoundEventSetsSurface
113 John IsnerW Nicolas Mahut2010 Wimbledon5Grass
103 Nicolas MahutL John Isner2010 Wimbledon5Grass
78 Ivo KarlovićL Radek Štěpánek2009 Davis Cup5Clay
75 Ivo KarlovićW Horacio Zeballos1R2017 Australian Open5Hard
67 Reilly OpelkaL Thomas Fabbiano2R2019 Australian Open5Hard
64 John IsnerW Ruben Bemelmans2R2018 Wimbledon5Grass
61 Ivo KarlovićW Lu Yen-Hsun1R2016 US Open5Hard
61 Ivo KarlovićL Jan-Lennard Struff2R2018 Wimbledon5Grass
59 Ivo KarlovićL Kei Nishikori2R2019 Australian Open5Hard
56 Albano OlivettiL Matthew Barton1R2016 Wimbledon5Grass

;Seasons with 1000+ aces
#PlayerYears
7 John Isner2010, 2012, 2015–2019
4 Goran Ivanišević1994, 1996–1998
4 Ivo Karlović2007, 2014–2016
2 Milos Raonic2012, 2014
2 Kevin Anderson2015, 2018
1 Pete Sampras1993
1 Andy Roddick2004
1 Reilly Opelka2019

;Other
holds the record for most aces in a tournament with 102 en route to winning the 2012 Wimbledon title.
Karolína Plíšková has the most aces in a single season with 530 in 2016, which broke her own record of 517 in 2015.
;Most aces in a match
#Player/OpponentRoundEventSetsSurface
31 Kristýna PlíškováL Monica Puig2016 Australian Open3Hard
28 Kristýna PlíškováL Monica Puig2019 Luxembourg3Hard
27 Sabine LisickiW Belinda Bencic2R2015 Birmingham2Grass
24 Kaia KanepiW Lucie Šafářová2008 Tokyo3
24 Serena WilliamsW Victoria Azarenka2012 Wimbledon2Grass
24 Kristýna PlíškováW Karolína Plíšková2019 Birmingham3Grass
23 Serena WilliamsW Zheng Jie3R2012 Wimbledon3Grass
23 Kristýna PlíškováL Océane Dodin2016 Linz3Hard
22 Brenda SchultzW Iva Majoli1994 Birmingham3
22 Meghann ShaughnessyW Nicole Vaidišová2005 Memphis2
22 Alicia MolikL Venus Williams2007 Tokyo2
22 Alison van UytvanckL Sofia Kenin2020 Lyon3Hard