Goran Ivanisevic was the proud owner of an absolutely lethal serve when he was playing at the peak of his powers.
The Wimbledon winner once held the record for the fastest in tennis when he hit a 251 km/h (156 mph) serve during a 2004 Davis Cup tie.
Ivanisevic, who is currently Arthur Fils’ coach, built his perfect tennis player during a recent interview with SportKlub.
Ivanisevic named the likes of Jannik Sinner, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, but he picked a surprise name for best serve.
Goran Ivanisevic builds his perfect tennis player
Ivanisevic picked some of the best players in the world as he built a tennis star from the best attributes on the ATP Tour.
While picking Andre Agassi’s return and Federer’s volley were not a surprise, there were some strange decisions.
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The star opted for Sinner’s mentality, rather than his former player Djokovic, who has long been admired for his winning mentality.
| Tennis shot | Player Goran Ivanisevic chose |
| Serve | Nick Kyrgios |
| Forehand | Rafael Nadal |
| Backhand | Novak Djokovic |
| Return | Andre Agassi |
| Volley | Roger Federer |
| Mentality | Jannik Sinner |
| Speed | Carlos Alcaraz |
Likewise, Ivanisevic’s decision to pick Nick Kyrgios as the best server in tennis seems a very strange decision.
Kyrgios had a big serve, there is no doubt about that, but is he truly one of the best servers in the sport?
The Australian has hit over 4500 aces in his career, but many would argue the likes of Pete Sampras, John Isner, and Ivo Karlovic were stronger.
What Nick Kyrgios has said about his own serve
Ivanisevic’s decision to opt for Kyrgios’ serve might be a surprise, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to the Australian himself.
The star has often named his serve as one of the best in the sport, including prominently in a 2024 interview.
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Asked to build his perfect tennis player on the Lets Trot podcast, the Australian said: “Serve, I’ll take myself. I’ve got to throw myself in on one of these. I think I do have, pound for pound, the best serve.
“I’m not super tall for a tennis player these days… But pound for pound, I’ll take myself. I think variation, second serve, first serve, rhythm.”
Kyrgios has also made the underarm serve his trademark, so it became one of the more unpredictable shots in tennis.