Greek-French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou has ranked who he believes are the five greatest servers in tennis history, including legend Pete Sampras and fan favourite Nick Kyrgios.
Mouratoglou, who coaches at his Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France, which he’ll bring to Australian shores soon too, has worked with a number of players, including Serena Williams and top ranked Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.
He coached Williams to 10 Grand Slams and Olympic Gold and his first player was Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who he began coaching in 1999, helping him become junior world No.1, win the 2003 Australian Open boys’ title and reach the final of the 2006 Australian Open.
In an Instagram post, the coach ranked his top five serves and broke down what makes each of them so great.
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Mouratoglou ranked Greek-American Pete Sampras at number four.
Considered of the greatest tennis players of all time, Sampras won 14 grand slams, including two Australian Opens in 1994 and 1997.
“Despite his height of less than two metres, Pete’s serve is widely recognised as one of the most exceptional in tennis history,” Mouratoglou said of the former World No.1.
“Renowned for his precision, he could consistently hit extremely small targets with remarkable accuracy.
“His flawless toss further added an element of unpredictability for his opponents. Undoubtedly, he rightfully holds a place among the elite servers in the sport’s history.”
At number two, the Frenchman ranked Greek-Australian Nick Kyrgios.
The 28-year-old maverick has not won a grand slam but has reached the final of Wimbledon in 2022.
Currently recovering from injury that saw him only play one game last year, the Canberra born star is hoping to make his return.
“Despite his height of just 1.93 metres, Nick Kyrgios sets himself apart with exceptional accuracy and power on his serve, enabling him to earn numerous points, notably with his outstanding second serve,” Mouratoglou said.
“Undoubtedly, he merits acknowledgment as one of the premier servers in tennis history.”
Also included on the list were American John Isner (first) and Croatian duo Goran Ivanisevic (fifth) and Ivo Karlovic (third). Kyrgios was the only active player he picked.
