Groundstroke Velocities Soar
in Pro Tennis

James E. Fawcette

Madison Keys: higher average forehand speeds than the men.

Have ATP and WTA tennis pros dramatically increased the peak velocity of their ground strokes in just the last few years? Comparing stats from two majors held four years apart the answer is an emphatic yes.

This article examines how the speed of top pros' groundstrokes has increased, following a pair of articles focused on topspin in groundstrokes. (Click Here for pro spin levels. Click Here for an article on measuring speed and spin in your own game.)

In 2017, Tennis Australia's statistics arm disclosed top forehand stats for that year's Australian Open after tracking velocity of every shot on its main courts. The maximum forehand speeds hit by men were: Rafael Nadal at 112 MPH, Novak Djokovic at 110 MPH, Tomas Berdych at 108 MPH.

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James E. Fawcette is a retired, serial entrepreneur in technology publishing and a long-time tennis fan. His opinions and unforced errors in this article are his own. Data is from Roland-Garros, Fédération française de tennis, via the Infosys Match Center.

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