Milos Raonic showcased a record-setting serving performance against Cameron Norrie at Queen’s Club in London. The Canadian tennis player played 110 points on his first serve, with 42 percent of those points resulting in unreturnable serves. Raonic’s 47 aces broke the ATP Tour record for a three-set match and propelled him to victory with a scoreline of 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-6(9).
Raonic himself acknowledged the significance of his serving prowess, stating that his serve has always been the most important shot for him. He expressed his relief that his exceptional serving performance led to a win, as it would have been disappointing to have so many free points and still lose the match.
Analyzing Raonic’s record-setting serving against Norrie, it becomes evident that his numbers far exceeded the 52-week ATP Tour averages. His aces in three sets on grass were 47, compared to the average of 5. His first-serve accuracy saw an increase of 29.3%, while his first-serve speed improved by 11.9%. Additionally, his first-serve percentage was 69%, surpassing the average of 62%.
What makes Raonic’s serving even more remarkable is his placement of those serves. Tennis Viz’s serve accuracy metric tracks how close each serve lands to the side or center service lines, excluding body serves. In one game, Raonic hit three serves so tight to the center service line, or “T,” that Norrie barely reacted.
Norrie himself admitted that he knew what to expect from Raonic’s serve but found it impossible to counter. He regarded Raonic as having the best serve he has ever faced and acknowledged that Raonic hit aces in all the right spots, making it a tough challenge for him.
In breaking the previous record of 45 aces in a three-set match on grass held by Ivo Karlovic, Raonic further solidified his serving dominance. Karlovic achieved his record in 2015 against another former Wimbledon finalist, Tomas Berdych, at Halle in Germany.
Even biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, who worked with Aryna Sabalenka to improve her serve, was amazed by Raonic’s serving statistics. MacMillan was astounded by Raonic’s average first-serve speed of 132 mph and second-serve speed of 118 mph, as well as his ability to lose only 11 points on his first serve throughout the match. While MacMillan wasn’t a fan of Raonic’s wind-up technique, he acknowledged that the rest of his serve was textbook and praised his rotational torque.
Despite his exceptional serving performance, Raonic still had to fight hard to secure the win. He needed to win a third-set tiebreak and save two match points, with the tiebreak going to 11-9. Out of the 27 pressure points he faced on serve, Raonic won 11 with aces. He came close to winning two consecutive 6-0 sets solely with aces, highlighting his dominance on the serve.
Overall, Milos Raonic’s record-setting serving performance against Cameron Norrie showcased his mastery of the serve. His ability to hit unreturnable serves and strategically place them proved to be a significant advantage. Raonic’s exceptional serving skills, combined with his determination to secure the win, make him a formidable opponent on the court.