Follow us on Google Discover Andy Roddick believes there is a player on the WTA Tour with an even better serve than Aryna Sabalenka…
The Belarusian star struggled with her serve for several years, as the shot often cost her chances to win Grand Slam tournaments.
Working hard to improve, Sabalenka’s serve is now one of her biggest weapons, firing her to four major titles and the world number one ranking.
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Most fans would agree that Sabalenka has one of the best serves on the WTA Tour, but that’s not to say she doesn’t have any competition.
2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick has now named the former Grand Slam winner whom he believes has the best serve in the world.
Andy Roddick says Elena Rybakina has the ‘best serve in the world’
During the latest episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick’, the American shared his thoughts on Elena Rybakina, who won the Ningbo Open last week.
“When she is in full flight, I think she has the best serve in the world, said Roddick.
“I don’t know that it’s that close. Maybe Aryna [Sabalenka] when she is really serving well. But [Elena] Rybakina can hit all four spots on the court. Deuce side, ad side, off of the same toss, over and over.”
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Roddick then previewed Rybakina’s 2026 chances after a ‘nuts year’ in 2025.
“I think she is going to have a massive year next year. I think this year was nuts for many reasons, which were personal and trying to get coaches,” he said.
“It feels like it was just a year of distraction. But when she is flying, she has been playing pretty well.
“She played well going into the US Open. I had her going to the final there. [Rybakina lost to Marketa Vondrousova in 4R]
“So maybe I am just overly impressed with the eye test and what I see from her, but I am buying going into 2026.”
Rybakina will be hoping to achieve big things in the new year, and will need her serve to be firing on all cylinders if she is to do so.
Who is the best server on the WTA Tour?
Roddick believes Rybakina has the best serve in the women’s game, but do the stats agree?
According to one key serving metric, the answer is yes, as Rybakina has hit nearly 100 more aces than any other player this year.
RankNameCountry2025 Aces1Elena RybakinaKazakhstan4572Clara TausonDenmark3583Linda NoskovaCzechia3544Ekaterina AlexandrovaRussia3185Naomi OsakaJapan3076Aryna SabalenkaBelarus2677Elise MertensBelgium2618Veronika KudermetovaRussia2409Iga SwiatekPoland23510Madison KeysUSA219Most aces on the WTA Tour in 2025
She’s also competitive in several other areas, including first serve points won % and service games won %.
Elena Rybakina’s 2025 serving statsAces – 457 (1st on WTA Tour)1st Serve % – 57.4 (253rd on WTA Tour)1st Serve points won % – 74.4 (2nd on WTA Tour)2nd Serve % – 49.8 (27th on WTA Tour)Serve points won % – 63.9 (2nd on WTA Tour)Break points saved % – 64.5 (18th on WTA Tour)Service games won % – 81.6 (2nd on WTA Tour)
The stats certainly seem to back up Roddick’s claim that Rybakina has the best serve on the WTA Tour.
What Elena Rybakina must do to clinch WTA Finals qualification
Rybakina may have one eye on a big 2026 campaign, but there is still work to be done in 2025.
The Kazakh star currently sits ninth in the WTA Race and can secure WTA Finals qualification this week in Japan.
With eighth-placed Mirra Andreeva skipping the event in Tokyo, qualification is in Rybakina’s hands.
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If she can reach the semifinals of the WTA 500 event, she will secure her place in Riyadh at Andreeva’s expense.
Entering the Pan Pacific Open as the number-one seed, Rybakina will receive a bye into the second round, and will only need to win two matches to advance to the WTA Finals.
She won’t have it easy though, and will face the in-form Leylah Fernandez in round two, who won a title in Osaka, Japan last week.
Rybakina would then play either Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko or German qualifier Eva Lys in the quarterfinals.
Only time will tell if Rybakina can get the job done in Tokyo, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Rybakina will begin her Pan Pacific Open campaign against Fernandez in round two on Thursday, October 23.