Every week, Tennis Analytics dives deep into the data, bringing you a stat of the week to help you understand tennis better and become a little smarter.
For January, in anticipation of the 2021 Australian Open, we will look at some of the favorites on both men’s and women’s sides to see what separates them from the field. Findings are based on matches that we have charted during 2020.
Stat of the Week: 9%
The favorite to win the 2021 Men’s Australian Open is…
wait for it…
you’ll never guess…
Novak Djokovic.
His dominance over his opponents in 2020 was anchored by his 2nd serve and the return of his opponent’s 2nd serve. For both of these areas, Novak outperformed his opponent by 9%, the largest variance of any of the statistics measured.
Djokovic’s most effective 2nd serve placements are his least utilized.
- Wide in the ad court.
- Body in the deuce court.
Point of the Week
Pacho Gonzales was touted as saying that “a player is only as good as their 2nd Serve.”
As we have seen in previous stats of the week, at most levels of tennis, the 2nd serve is a liability, meaning that the returner has the advantage to win the point.
Tracking your serve efficiency is easy, yet most players have no idea whether their 2nd serve is an asset or a liability.
To track your serve numbers, purchase a player package. Then film your match and send it in. We’ll send you back video footage linked to each stat.
Photo of the Week
Djokovic’s serve.
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