Elena Rybakina Outshines Serena Williams in Tennis Power Play

While both men’s and women’s tennis saw a raft of young talents jostling for attention and going toe-to-toe with the big stars in the season gone by, there were some whose rapier-like serves set them ahead of the rest.

Tennis.com has put together a list of five tennis stars, drawn from the men’s and women’s circuits, who served the most aces, and effectively so, in 2020.

Elena Rybakina fired 193 aces to rank first

Kazakh tennis star Elena Rybakina tops the women’s list with 193 aces. Winning 21 of her first 25 matches on Tour, Rybakina vaulted from 37 to 17 in the WTA rankings.

A big part of her success and Tour wins this year was a flawless service game.

Serena Williams made the list for the first time since 2016

The redoubtable Serena Williams ranked second in the list, sending down 178 aces in 20 matches at an average of eight, or thereabouts, per game. This year marked the first time since 2016 that the 23-time Grand Slam champion featured in the top-two of the ace list.

A dominating service game, apart from powerful groundstrokes, has seen the American boss the women’s game for a number of years. Age may have slowed her down a tad, but the 39-year-old still packs a mean punch with her serves.

The huge proportion of her aces this calendar came at the US Open.

Aryna Sabalenka sent down 165 aces in 37 matches

Rising Belarussian star Aryna Sabalenka is third in the list with 165 aces in 37 matches. The 2020 season was arguably her most fruitful one on Tour as she won three titles, including the elite Premier 5 event in Doha, Qatar.

Her run of wins this year also saw her finish in the WTA Top-10 for the first time in her career. She ended the season ranked 10th.

Garbine Muguruza ranked fourth in ace list

Garbine Muguruza of Spain ranked fourth in the ace list, firing 160 of them in 30 matches. A power player, she served her way to the final of the Australian Open this year before falling to American Sofia Kenin in the title clash.

Her run at the year’s first Major saw her jump from 32 to 16 in the rankings. She finished the year ranked 15th.

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Jennifer Brady struck 149 aces in 28 matches

American Jennifer Brady brought up the rear with 149 aces in 28 matches. She served notice of her unbridled talent this season, storming to the semifinals of the US Open.

She also notched up wins against two players in the Top-10 of the WTA rankings this year. Her performances and wins on the Tour saw her rise from 55 to 24 in the year-end rankings.