/ Published in Alex De Minaur, Emma Raducanu, Iga Świątek, Iga Swiatek, Novak Djokovic, Roland Garros, The First 4 Shots

RG 2025. 1st Serve % < 60%? Au Revoir.

G’day from Paris,

The tournament average for first serves made to the quarter-finals of Roland Garros this year is identical for men and women.

1st Serves Made

  • Men = 62%
  • Women = 62%

What happens if you make less than 60% of your first serves? Trouble. Big trouble.

Here’s what happened to the 45 men who averaged less than 60% first serves in the court. What round did they reach?  It wasn’t pretty.

MEN: Less Than 60% First Serve Made (45 players)

  • Lost in Rd 1 = 64% (29)
  • Lost in Rd 2 = 24% (11)
  • Lost in Rd 3 = 9% (4)
  • Lost in Rd 4 = 2% (1)
  • Total = 45 players

If you don’t make enough of your first serves (less than 60%), then the most likely scenario is that you are booking a holiday on Ryan Air soon after arriving in Paris. The south of Italy is always nice, but it’s a good idea to stay clear of Mt. Etna at the moment.

It’s important to note that many factors decide the outcome of a match at Roland Garros other than first serve percentage. But if you are making below the tournament average, you are absolutely behind the eight ball trying to reach week two.

Who didn’t make a lot of first serves and was bundled out of the tournament early? Here are five players that will grab your attention.

FIRST SERVES MADE

  1. Alex De Minaur = 46%. The Aussie finished dead last in first serves made for the tournament, losing in the second round in five sets to Alexander Bublik. De Minaur only made 48% of first serves in that match and had to hit 67 second serves. Bublik had to hit 51. That’s all she wrote.
  2. Taylor Fritz = 53%. The American lost in round one to Daniel Altmaier in four sets. His first serve wasn’t effective enough, and he only won 48% of his second serves. Back over the pond you go.
  3. Reilly Opelka = 56%. Opelka only managed to make 47% of his first serves in his second round, which was a straight-sets defeat to Mariano Navone. Opelka’s first serve is gargantuan. When he misses, he is forced to play baseline points. He only won 46% of them from the back of the court in the first two rounds. Far from ideal.
  4. Gael Monfils = 59%. The Frenchman was under the tournament average in his first two matches (61% and 58%) and lost to Jack Draper. Monfils got crushed on second serve points won, at just 37%. If he had made more first serves, his exposure to second serves would have been less of an issue, and he may still be alive in the tournament.
  5. Marin Cilic = 47%. The Croatian has owned one of the best serves on the planet for the last decade, but couldn’t get it to land in during his round one loss to Flavio Cobolli. He also won only 44% of his second serve points. A double whammy of disaster.

WOMEN: Less Than 60% First Serve Made (46 players)

  • Lost in Rd 1 = 57% (26)
  • Lost in Rd 2 =22 % (10)
  • Lost in Rd 3 = 11% (5)
  • Lost in Rd 4 = 4% (2)
  • Lost in Qtr Final = 4% (2)
  • In Semi-Final = 2% (1)
  • Total = 46 players

Making less than 60% of first serves is also detrimental to going deep in the women’s draw, but not as much as the men. Iga Swiatek has only made 59% of first serves, but is still alive in the tournament. Svitolina (56%) and Zheng (57%) both made the quarters but are now out of the tournament.

Here are five women who failed to get it done with first serves early in the tournament.

FIRST SERVES MADE

  1. Ons Jabeur = 51%. She lost to Magdalena Frech. 7-6, 6-0 in round one, and only won 38% of second serves and won 4/9 service games. Next year can’t come soon enough.
  2. Elena Rybakina = 55%. She made it all the way to the 4th round, but only made 42% and 48% first serves in her last two matches. That will end your tournament in a hurry.
  3. Emma Raducanu = 58%.  The Brit only made it to the 2nd round. She won just 36% and 35% of second serve points in her first two rounds. These numbers are not getting you to week two.
  4. Iga Swiatek = 59%. She has made 50%, 57%, and 58% first serves in her last three matches. She covered up for the low first serve numbers by winning 56% of second serve points. Still alive, but barely.
  5. Elisa Mertens = 45%. She had three aces and six double faults in her Round 1 loss to Lois Boisson 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. She only lost serve 3 times and won 55% of second serve points. It was a tough draw as Boisson is now in the semi-finals.

SUMMARY

The first serve is the protector of the second serve. The men are winning 50% of their second serves, while the women are winning only 44%. If you make a healthy amount of first serves, you stay out of the quicksand of trying to survive by winning points behind your second serve.

Remember, the tournament average for first serves in is 62% for men and women. You want to be above what the rank-and-file are posting. To increase the number of first serves, follow the checklist below.

  • Make sure your tossing arm goes straight up to the sky for a straight and high toss.
  • High contact is essential. Don’t let the ball get too low, causing your motion to collapse.
  • Use your wrist for spin and direction. Ensure you have a good blend of arm and wrist movement.
  • When you are struggling to make first serves, aim more at the body location down the middle of the service box to increase your chances of making first serves.

All the best from Roland Garros,

Craig