Top 3 Most Unique and Stylistic Serves in the Open Era
It is well known who has had some of the most effective serves in the open era. Roger Federer, Goran Ivanisevic, Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams would probably top that list. However, who has the most stylistic serve? By stylistic, I’m talking about those players that have had a very distinctive looking serve, are easy on the eyes, and which are immediately recognizable.
Here’s my list for most original and distinctive looking serves in the open era. These are serves that just plainly look cool to me! Let’s start with #1.
Number 1: John McEnroe
Johnny Mac by far has the most stylistic and unique serve I have ever seen. First off, he has a long wind up that starts with him being positioned completely parallel to the baseline. The ball toss is then completely behind him before he strikes the ball. It almost looks like his whole back is towards his opponent. Some folks say that the reason for this unique motion is that the opponent is unaware exactly where the ball is going. Either way, it looks incredibly technical and absolutely awesome. Here’s an example of his totally awesome looking serve!
Number 2: Boris Becker
The big German is number two on my list because of the incredible knee bend and explosiveness off the baseline. Boris almost looked like a pendulum when serving. You knew what was coming, usually a massive bomb! Look out! He also had a tendency to stick his tongue out during his delivery, which gave it a Michael Jordan quality. Here’s a video of Boris saving three break points by serving five aces in a row. Ouch!
Number 3: Venus Williams
I have included Venus as part of my top three due to the sheer effortlessness and classic quality in her service motion. Venus’ serve consists of one compact and fluid motion which reminds me of an old school legend such as Rod Laver. Check out her fluid and very natural service motion in the following clip.
So there you have it, these are my top three favorite looking serves. What are yours? Share in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!
Great picks. I would add Jo-Willy Tsonga to your list of great servers. He has easy and natural power, an efficient motion, and great placement. When his serve is on, he becomes a destroyer on the court!