Serve-and-Volley Style in Tennis
Serve-and-volley is a style of play in tennis where the player serving moves quickly towards the net after hitting a serve, to attempt to hit a volley afterwards.
Why Serve and Volley has Declined
Sadly, over the last two decades, the serve and volley game has died out due to slower court speeds, softer balls, better rackets, enhanced string technology, and improved fitness and strength in today’s players.
The Best Serve and Volley Players
5 Best Serve And Volley Players In The Open Era:
- Stefan Edberg
- Rod Laver
- Boris Becker
- Pete Sampras
- John McEnroe
Will Serve and Volley Return?
Few players are even close to having our hero’s all-around talent and physical prowess. But in the ensuing years, more young players develop into pure serve and volley players, some with a very high level of success. Finally, the serve and volley makes its return to tennis.
Serve and Volley Players Today
The last pure serve-and-volleyer to hang around the courts was American Taylor Dent, who retired in 2010. Within the last decade there were only two other players—Tim Henman and Patrick Rafter—who managed to have success adopting this aggressive and classic style of play.