Dominating Tennis

How to hit a reliable second serve under pressure

Hit the second serve with intent. Make them beat you.

Traced from real footage

See it, eight instants at a time.

Every frame is traced from real match footage, so you see the shape of the stroke, not a drawing of an idea.

Djokovic · serve type unverified, instant 1 of 8
FIG. 28 · DJOKOVIC · SERVE TYPE UNVERIFIED
Djokovic · serve type unverified: eight instants traced from the footage, frame for frame. Hover or tap to flip.

Key facts

  1. 73.6%

    In Bialik’s 2014 pre-US Open analysis, the average top-50 ATP player won 73.6% behind a first serve that landed and 57.5% behind a second serve that landed.

    Carl Bialik, FiveThirtyEight, 4 September 2014 (archived)

  2. 91.1%

    The same historical analysis reports 91.1% of second serves landing and 52.4% of all second-serve points won, including double faults.

    Bialik, 2014; 0.911 × 0.575 ≈ 0.524

  3. 57.9%

    ATP reported Djokovic’s 2023 second-serve points-won rate as 57.9%. This is a different year and denominator from the 2014 conditional figure.

    ATP, Sinner / Annacone grass-court feature, June 2024

  4. 04

    A point won after a second serve can include several rally shots. The point win rate is not an isolated measurement of serve quality.

    Kokta, A deeper dive into second serve statistics, 18 May 2020

  5. 2020

    In a January 2020 Eurosport interview, Djokovic described working on greater serving reach and going for more on second serves as his confidence grew. This is a player account, not a measured contact-height comparison.

    Djokovic, Eurosport Game, Schett and Mats interview after his 2020 Australian Open second-round match; transcript reported by Eurosport/TNT Sports

  6. 180–190km/h

    On 28 January 2020, Australian Open reporting described Ivanisevic’s second-serve pace focus as 180–190 km/h; Djokovic’s tournament average at that point was reported as closer to 170 km/h. The higher range was not his average.

    Gillian Tan, Australian Open, The champions embracing change to stay at the summit, 28 January 2020

Why it works

The topspin component bends the flight down, allowing a higher path over the net for a suitable launch. A high kick bounce also depends on speed, landing angle, depth and court surface. Shoulder height is a possible outcome, not a promise for every second serve.

A slower action changes pace and brush together. Our simplified flight model can show more clearance when both fall, so less clearance is not a general consequence. The slower ball can also give the returner more time. Practise a familiar serve at an effort you can repeat.

Landing and the next ball are separate observations. Count faults in the practice block, then add a returner to see which replies your serve draws. The dial does not identify your best pace, spin or target; use your own repeated attempts to compare them.

The line to say on court

“Second serve: familiar swing, room to land, one target.”

Drill: 21 points, then ten second serves

15 min · alone or with a partner
  1. After your usual warm-up, choose one broad target and one service side. Keep a familiar second serve at comfortable effort; full brush does not mean maximum effort. Allow about 15 minutes, with rest as needed.
  2. Play a scoring game: two points for a first serve in; after a miss, one for a second serve in and zero for a double fault. Stop at 21 or more points, or after ten minutes. Keep the game score and count doubles separately.
  3. Then hit a separate block of ten second serves from the chosen side, with no first serves. Count the first ten attempts, including misses. Count how many land in the correct service box; tally hits in your smaller target separately.
  4. If you stop before ten attempts, a partial block doesn't count toward the number to beat. Nine in ten is an authored practice goal. On another day, keep the same side, target, balls and effort before adding a returner.
Number to beat9 of 10 in the separate second-serve block

More drills like this: serve, practise alone

Faults and fixes

A different swing appears under pressure
The scored attempt feels different from rehearsal.
FixReturn to your familiar serve at comfortable effort with a larger target. Add the score again once you can repeat it.
The toss leaves you reaching
The toss and contact position are inconsistent.
FixReset rather than chase the toss. Rehearse the toss that suits your familiar serve before changing its location.
Aiming for the line on a big point
The target has become smaller than the one you practised.
FixUse a broad target you have rehearsed, with room inside the lines.
The score improves without more second serves landing
The game rewards first serves too; it is not a ten-second-serve test.
FixKeep the game score separate. Use the first ten attempts of the second-serve-only block for the /10 score.

Questions players ask

Should I hit my second serve slower?

Keep a repeatable swing and practise the brush that shapes your second serve. Slowing the action changes pace and spin together; it does not necessarily reduce clearance, and it may give the returner more time.

Where should I aim my second serve on break point?

Use a target and serve you have practised under a score. Start with room inside the lines; whether body, T or wide works best depends on your delivery and the returner.

What percentage of second serve points do pros win?

Specify the year, players and denominator. Bialik’s 2014 pre-US Open top-50 analysis reported 57.5% won when the second serve landed, but 52.4% when double faults were included. Those historical averages are not a current tour benchmark.

Why is a kick serve good as a second serve?

Its topspin component can curve a higher flight down into the service box. The bounce depends on speed, landing angle, depth and surface; not every kick serve reaches shoulder height.

What this doesn't cover

Historical serve statistics depend on the sample and denominator. A rate for second serves that land excludes double faults; standard second-serve points won includes them. The flight model does not estimate personal fault probabilities. Reusing first-serve success rates for second serves is a simplifying assumption, not proof of an optimal strategy. Djokovic’s reported changes describe his own development; they do not establish an optimal speed, a measured change in contact height or a causal gain in points won. The nine-in-ten drill target is an authored practice goal, not a tour norm or a prediction of match performance. The scoring game, ten-serve check and live service points use separate counts.

Sources

Read next

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