A big serve is one thing. But a serve that’s nearly impossible to read? That’s the stuff of nightmares for returners. These are the players who made elite athletes look like weekend warriors just trying to guess which direction the ball was heading.
Whether it was disguise, mechanics, power, or placement, these servers kept their opponents guessing—and guessing wrong. Let’s take a look at the most unreadable, jaw-dropping serves the game has ever seen.
18. Madison Keys
Madison’s serve doesn’t just come fast—it comes out of nowhere. Her smooth motion and subtle wrist snap leave returners flat-footed more often than not.
17. Taylor Dent
Dent’s serve was a missile hidden behind a short, punchy motion. Opponents never had much time to prepare, and his ability to mix speeds added to the confusion.
16. Ivan Ljubičić
Ljubičić’s serve didn’t get enough love, but it was quietly lethal. His compact motion and pinpoint placement gave opponents little time to react—and even less time to guess correctly.
15. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
Schultz-McCarthy’s high toss and booming delivery looked awkward but were deadly. Her serve came down like a hammer and disguised its direction beautifully.
14. Kevin Anderson
Anderson’s height helped, but it was his consistent, robotic motion that gave no visual clues. His toss, angle, and follow-through all looked the same—until the ball was already screaming past you.
13. Amélie Mauresmo
Amélie’s serve had a layered elegance that kept opponents on edge. Her ability to slice, kick, and flatten it out from the same toss made her delivery a riddle.
12. Mark Philippoussis
The “Scud” had a serve that felt like it was shot out of a cannon. But it was the way he could blast a flat bomb or a wicked slice from the same motion that made it unreadable.
11. Sam Stosur
Stosur’s kick serve might be the most baffling in the women’s game. She could twist it high and wide, all while keeping the toss identical to her flat serves.
10. Goran Ivanišević
Lefty serve plus erratic genius equals total chaos for opponents. Goran could hit every spot on the court with the same service toss, and no one ever knew what was coming.
9. Karolína Plíšková
Plíšková’s serve is deceptively calm but brutally effective. Her lack of visible effort and rock-solid mechanics means the ball just suddenly appears where you didn’t expect it.
8. Milos Raonic
Raonic’s serve has always been technically precise, but his disguise is what makes it elite. The ball explodes off his racquet with no obvious tell, and it’s often gone before you even move.
7. Serena Williams
Power gets the headlines, but it’s Serena’s variety and disguise that make her serve unreturnable. She’ll serve out wide, down the T, or throw in a kicker—all off the same toss.
6. Boris Becker
Becker’s toss was identical whether he was hitting a slice, flat, or kicker. He turned service games into guessing games, and most players guessed wrong.
5. Petra Kvitová
Petra’s lefty serve spins away from right-handers like a magic trick. She never telegraphs her intent, which makes even her second serve tough to anticipate.
4. Andy Roddick
Roddick’s compact motion gave opponents no time to read or react. His serve was one of the fastest ever, but it was the deceptive wind-up that made it special.
Read More: Ranking the 15 Greatest Servers in Tennis History
3. Ash Barty
Barty didn’t overpower you—she outfoxed you. Her slice, kick, and flat serves all looked identical at the start, which is why her service games were so efficient.
Read More: Tennis Star Becker and Two Icons Break Down the Perfect Serve
2. Roger Federer
Federer’s serve is a masterclass in disguise and precision. He rarely hits 130 mph, but the placement, spin, and lack of tells made it one of the most unreadable in history.
Read More: 15 Legends Who Were Playing Modern Power Tennis in the ’80s
1. Pete Sampras
Pistol Pete had the smoothest, most inscrutable motion of all time. Whether it was a wide slider or a T-bomb, his opponents saw the same toss and same rhythm—until the ball zipped past them.
Stay in the Game With the Latest Scores, Highlights, and Stories — Follow GamerKoala on MSN.
