Beyond The Numbers
How Djokovic’s Serve Keeps Him at the Pinnacle of Tennis
An Insightful Look into Djokovic’s Serving Prowess
October 01, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil
Djokovic’s dazzling 88.3% service games won as he heads into the Shanghai leg of the tour.
By Andrew Eichenholz
While Novak Djokovic has garnered a well-deserved reputation as one of the greatest returners in tennis history, his ascent to the top of the sport today can largely be attributed to a remarkable enhancement in his serving game.
Insights from the Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis reveal that Djokovic has recorded a higher service game success rate in 2025 than in all but two previous seasons.
Ranked No. 4 in the world, Djokovic has consistently finished within the Top 3 of the year-end PIF ATP Rankings for 15 of the last 18 years, boasting an unprecedented eight ATP Year-End No. 1 titles presented by PIF. This year, he stands only behind two earlier seasons in terms of service game percentage.
Djokovic’s Serving Performance at a Glance
| Statistics | 2025 | Career |
| Service Games Won | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| First-Serve Percentage | 66.6% | 64.9% |
| First-Serve Points Won | 76.4% | 74.2% |
| Second-Serve Points Won | 55.3% | 55.5% |
Djokovic’s highest service games won percentage was recorded in 2015 at 89.5%, earning him the fifth spot on the ATP Tour that year. In 2023, he achieved 88.4%, ranking second, and now in 2025, he is close behind at 88.3%, trailing only Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, and Reilly Opelka.
As he approaches the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Djokovic is significantly outperforming his career average of 86.1%. Notably, he has improved his first-serve percentage and first-serve points won while maintaining a consistent second-serve performance.
The trend is clear: three out of his six best serving seasons have occurred since 2022.
Djokovic’s Top Serving Seasons (Measured by Service Games Won)
| Year | Service Games Won | Match Record |
| 2015 | 89.5% | 82-6 |
| 2023 | 88.4% | 56-7 |
| 2025 | 88.3% | 31-10 |
| 2013 | 88% | 74-9 |
| 2014 + 2022 | 87.7% | 61-8, 42-7 |
But it’s not just about the numbers. Historically, Djokovic only managed to win more than 76% of his first-serve points in a season prior to 2021. Remarkably, this year marks his fourth consecutive time achieving that milestone.
This 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion has upped his average to an impressive 8.4 aces per match this season, compared to his career average of 5.5.
As Taylor Fritz observed, Djokovic’s combination of a dominant serve and exceptional baseline play creates an enigma for his opponents. “His ability to serve aggressively, even on second serves, compounds the difficulty of countering his return game,” noted Fritz after being defeated by Djokovic in the recent US Open quarter-finals. “It’s a challenge to pressure him because he reciprocates so effectively with his returns.”
From 2010 to 2021, Djokovic ranked among the top three players on the ATP Tour for return games won every year he was eligible. His service game wasn’t as formidable by comparison during those years.
In 2022, he ranked fourth in both categories, but by 2023, he climbed two spots in service games won and has further excelled in 2025.
Djokovic’s return remains a formidable weapon; yet today, it’s his serving prowess that truly distinguishes him.
