[vswfan]

So far Rybakina's serve is very effective, but it hasn't been really tested. At the moment Rybakina's serve doesn't really have much variety. It's the same flat serve with some good placements. If she doesn't add more variety/spin, the ceiling is Lindsay Davenport.

 

[Aaron.]

Statistics can be deceiving. Rybakina has a really powerful and effective serve, but it doesn't come close to Serena's as far as overall quality.

This reminds me of when Kyrgios was saying how he didn't like playing mixed doubles with Serena because she wanted to do everything, including serve first. He said he was thinking: "Hold on. I'm better than you." While Kyrgios may hit a harder serve than Serena (obviously), he still has an inferior serve to Serena's because a smart tennis player would rather have all of the attributes of Serena's serve under pressure than Kyrgios' serve. I am talking about disguise, clutchness, free points, speed, placement, and variety.

Serena's serve is the greatest shot in the history of women's tennis, and there are several men who would have much better careers with Serena's serve. This isn't because it is the hardest serve that has ever been hit. The disguise on Serena's serve is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Also, the motion is the most fluid, which is why it was able to hold up for over two decades on the tour. Rybakina has a very good serve, but the motion could be improved. There is a slight lag between the toss and contact that if she smoothed out, she could get even more power on the serve.

Kyrgios serve is better than Serena's. He's a man and 9 inches taller!

 

[Aaron.]

Her serve was great in 2007, it even let her win a set from Henin at Wimbledon when she had no leg and no left hand.
She only started working with Mouratoglou before 2012 Wimbledon. A lot of fan actually complained that Patrick made her serve worse in 2013-2014.

Her serve did decline under Patrick. 2012 was her peak serving year.

2012 > 88% service games held

2014 > 81% service games held

 

[goldenlox]

Both tours are really interesting right now! I want to see how the big 3 go on this year, and if anyone like Krejcikova can join them
Men you have Alcaraz and Medvedev and Nole & Rafa have their own battle at 22 majors
This is going to be a great clay season!

 

[Exo]

Serena's serve is what every player should aim for. It was a thing of beauty when on. The creme da la creme..

 

[VeeJJ]

I don’t think it’s even close yet tbh. Serena’s serve is another level and way more variation.

I also think it’s hard to compare this because Serena’s intention after the serve was very different than Rybakina

 

[mtk1211]

She has a very good serve but be so for real right now lol not even close to Serena's serve at this point.
Serena's innate ability to fire aces or unreturnable serves on pressure points is something I'm not sure we will ever see again.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Mug Fan]

Oh now saying it's close instead of that on par statement before huh, yet there's a mismatch in the thread title and your comment in OP? Sis the figures you pulled do back up Serena's superiority. Let's close this thread and call it a day.

This is unnecessarily bitchy. It’s not an entirely unreasonable statement, or at least you could argue it’s a worthy discussion point. Plus he’s made the effort to go away and research the stats. Then had the balls to acknowledge (statistically) that Serena may be better after all and that his statement is slightly off.

Why the hostility to such a decent poster? Just uncalled for - especially considering some of the bullshit we put up with from some posters on here. SMH.

ETA: ugh, just realised he may have edited the thread title already. If so, apols.

 

[Aaron.]

This is unnecessarily bitchy. It’s not an entirely unreasonable statement, or at least you could argue it’s a worthy discussion point. Plus he’s made the effort to go away and research the stats. Then had the balls to acknowledge (statistically) that Serena may be better after all and that his statement is slightly off.

Why the hostility to such a decent poster? Just uncalled for - especially considering some of the bullshit we put up with from some posters on here. SMH.

ETA: ugh, just realised he may have edited the thread title already. If so, apols.

Welcome to TF

I didn't edit the thread title. It's been the same since I put it up.

That poster was referring to a comment I made in the live commentary thread.

 

[Wasabi.]

This is unnecessarily bitchy. It’s not an entirely unreasonable statement, or at least you could argue it’s a worthy discussion point. Plus he’s made the effort to go away and research the stats. Then had the balls to acknowledge (statistically) that Serena may be better after all and that his statement is slightly off.

Why the hostility to such a decent poster? Just uncalled for - especially considering some of the bullshit we put up with from some posters on here. SMH.

ETA: ugh, just realised he may have edited the thread title already. If so, apols.

This goes back to the commentary thread discussion. But I have nothing but love for @Aaron. and don't want to go back to that messy business.

 

[Nadal goat]

Elena Rybakina serve is actually better than S.Williams.

 

[Tripolis]

Rybakina has a fantastic serve but I think part of its effectiveness is also due to the fact that there aren't really many elite returners on tour ATM - apart from Swiatek and Azarenka (who is very inconsistent nowadays), I struggle to think of someone who returns at an elite level.

Unlike during the 2000s/2010s where Serena had to compete with many great returners like Henin, Dementieva, Azarenka at her peak, Sharapova (despite their H2H), Venus... among others.

Apart from this I also think Serena had way more variation on her serve plus her ball toss is much more difficult to read than Rybakina's imo. And of course she could throw down aces and unreturnables on big points more often than Elena can. Of course Rybakina is just starting her career as a top player so she could very well improve her serve to reach Serena's level, but I think that Serena's serve is still better at the moment.

 

[Geralt]

I'm still not convinced that Rybakina serves better than peak Barty, Osaka, or Pliskobot, let alone Serena.

 

[Nadal goat]

Williams serve was highly overrated

 

[KardedKing]

Rybakina has a fantastic serve but I think part of its effectiveness is also due to the fact that there aren't really many elite returners on tour ATM - apart from Swiatek and Azarenka (who is very inconsistent nowadays), I struggle to think of someone who returns at an elite level.

Unlike during the 2000s/2010s where Serena had to compete with many great returners like Henin, Dementieva, Azarenka at her peak, Sharapova (despite their H2H), Venus... among others.

Apart from this I also think Serena had way more variation on her serve plus her ball toss is much more difficult to read than Rybakina's imo. And of course she could throw down aces and unreturnables on big points more often than Elena can. Of course Rybakina is just starting her career as a top player so she could very well improve her serve to reach Serena's level, but I think that Serena's serve is still better at the moment.

Please don't forget about Queen Aljona and Queen Danielle Collins. They are two of the best returners on the WTA tour.

 

[Silasson]

Some of you haven’t watched the 2012 Gold
Medal demolition over 100 times and it shows.

 

[pattyclijsters]

2016 Pliskova hit an absolutely obscene 530/174 A/DF

wow

 

[Aaron.]

Rybakina consistently wins above 50% on her second serves. Which is very impressive. Today against Sabalenka she won 56%. Her second serve is definitely Serena quality!