Milos Raonic, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev Leave Novak Djokovic Behind in the Ace Race

Giant Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic has topped the tally of aces on the men’s Tour in 2020.

Towering at 6’5”, the 14th-ranked Canadian fired a staggering 529 aces in 32 matches this tennis calendar to finish top of the pile.

Milos Raonic fired 529 aces in 32 matches

As the Top-5 in the list bears evidence, tall players fared better on the ace count.

Alexander Zverev ranked third in list with 422 aces

Trailing Raonic at numbers 2,3,4 and 5 were Americans John Isner (425 aces in 20 matches), Alexander Zverev (422 aces in 39 matches), Russian Andrey Rublev (411 in 51) and rising American star Reilly Opelka (374 in 19).

Read More: Rafael Nadal Up Against Dominic Thiem and Others for 2020 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award

And, it’s no surprise that the singular attribute that binds the Top-5 in the ace list is that they stand comfortably over 6 feet. Opelka, at 6’11” is arguably the tallest in the men’s game, shading compatriot Isner by an inch.

Daniil Medvedev at No. 7, Novak Djokovic at 11

Other tall players to finish outside the Top-5 in the ace chart are Felix Auger-Aliassime at 6, Russian Daniil Medvedev at 7, American Taylor Fritz at 8, Canadian Denis Shapovalov at 9 and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas at 10.

In a telling piece of statistics that came out of the men’s ace list this season, none of the ‘Big Three’ – the combined moniker for Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – figured anywhere in the Top-10.

Rafael Nadal finishes at a lowly 33rd, Roger Federer at 81st

While Federer missed bulk of the tennis events this season because of a surgery on a troublesome knee, Nadal and Djokovic had fair runs in the circuit but still couldn’t rival the Top-10 on ace count.

The Serb still finished at a respectable 11th in the list, sending down 278 aces in 46 matches. However, Nadal finished at a lowly 33rd in the standings and Federer even lower at 81st.

While not known for a strong service game, the Spaniard, has of late, improved on his serve and volley in a bid to close out points quicker.

In Federer’s defense, one could say that he hardly had enough matches under his belt.

Reigning US Open champion Dominic Thiem also fared poorly at 18th, with 244 aces in 34 matches.

While Raonic and Isner are separated by 104 aces in the list, the American fared better in terms of the number of bazookas he fired on an average this year.