Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers: Nole Serves Notice
Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers: Nole Serves Notice
Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers shows that Novak Djokovic’s serve may just be among the most underrated shots in the game
Today’s elite power servers are all too familiar with Novak Djokovic’s return game; how the Serb can neutralize their weapon of choice and all but nullify the concept of the “free point.” But a closer look at his 2015 Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers stats reveal that his arsenal goes well beyond the return of serve.
A side-by-side comparison of Djokovic’s heads-above-the-rest campaigns of 2011 and 2015, when he won three of four majors and posted records of 70-6 and 82-6, respectively, illustrates that the World No. 1 is among the best servers on the ATP World Tour. And he’s only getting better. This year, he notched career-bests in second-serve points won, service games won and break points saved. That’s bad news for the competition.
| Year | Second Serve Points |
Service Games Won |
Break Points Saved |
| 2011 | 56% | 86% | 65% |
| 2015 | 60% | 89% | 68% |
BOLD = career best
“My serve has gotten better — not in terms of speed, but in terms of precision and accuracy,” Djokovic explained.
So effective is Djokovic’s second serve that he has finished in the top five in second-serve points won in six of the past eight years, leading the ATP World Tour in both 2013 and 2015. All the more reason why the 28-year-old has been able to distance himself from his Top-10 foes. In 2015, Djokovic went a career-best 31-5 against Top-10 competition, a dominance that was seen on all surfaces, against both lefties and righties.