Best Serve-and-Volley Masters

Serve-and-volley tennis is one of the most exciting styles the sport has ever produced. The idea sounds simple: deliver a strong or well-placed serve, move immediately toward the net, and finish the point with a volley before the opponent can take control. In reality, very few players have been able to master it at the highest level. Great serve-and-volley tennis requires an accurate serve, explosive movement, excellent anticipation, quick reactions and the confidence to attack the net again and again. For decades, some of the greatest champions in tennis history built their games around this aggressive approach.

The Players Who Turned Net Tennis Into an Art

Serve-and-volley tennis was once a major part of professional competition, especially on grass and faster hard courts. Changes in equipment, court speed, strings and returning ability have made the style much less common in modern singles tennis, but its greatest practitioners remain unforgettable.

This list considers more than the number of major titles won. Technique at the net, quality of the serve, movement forward, success on fast surfaces, longevity and influence on the sport all matter. Some players used serve-and-volley on almost every first serve, while others combined it with an excellent all-court game.

10. Pat Cash

Pat Cash represents the aggressive grass-court tennis that became famous during the 1980s. The Australian had a powerful serve, excellent athletic ability and the confidence to follow the ball directly toward the net. His game was particularly dangerous at Wimbledon, where fast conditions rewarded players willing to attack.

The greatest moment of his singles career came at Wimbledon in 1987. Cash defeated Ivan Lendl in straight sets in the final and then famously climbed into the stands to celebrate with his family and supporters. His route to the title also included victories over Mats Wilander and Jimmy Connors.

Cash was excellent at closing the net quickly after serving. His first volley often placed opponents under immediate pressure, while his athleticism allowed him to reach difficult passing shots. Injuries prevented him from building a longer period of dominance, but at his best he was one of the finest attacking players of his generation.

9. Patrick Rafter

Patrick Rafter kept serve-and-volley tennis alive during an era when baseline play was becoming increasingly important. The Australian used a heavy kick serve rather than relying only on extreme speed. That serve gave him time to move forward and position himself for the first volley.

Rafter won consecutive US Open titles in 1997 and 1998 and reached the Wimbledon final in both 2000 and 2001. His combination of fitness, movement and net coverage made him extremely difficult to pass when he established a strong position near the net.

His style was based on constant pressure. Opponents knew that almost every serve could be followed by an immediate attack. Rafter also had the stamina to repeat the tactic throughout long matches, which made him one of the final great specialists of traditional serve-and-volley singles tennis.

8. Boris Becker

Boris Becker brought power and physical intensity to serve-and-volley tennis. He had one of the most dangerous serves of his era and was famous for throwing his body around the court to reach difficult volleys.

Becker became a Wimbledon champion at only 17 years old in 1985. He defended the title in 1986 and won the tournament again in 1989. His success on Centre Court made him one of the defining grass-court players of the period.

Unlike some traditional volleyers who relied heavily on touch, Becker could overwhelm opponents with the first serve and then use his size and reach to control the net. His rivalry with Stefan Edberg produced several classic Wimbledon finals and showed two different interpretations of attacking tennis: the power and intensity of Becker against the elegance and precision of Edberg.

7. John Newcombe

John Newcombe was one of the strongest attacking players from the transition between amateur tennis and the Open Era. The Australian possessed a powerful serve, an excellent forehand volley and the confidence required to constantly move forward.

Newcombe won seven major singles titles, including three Wimbledon championships. He was also a remarkable doubles player, collecting numerous major titles and demonstrating exceptional awareness around the net.

His serve was particularly important to his success. Newcombe could produce power but also understood placement and variation. Instead of simply trying to hit an ace, he often used the serve to create an easier first volley. That basic principle became one of the foundations of classic serve-and-volley tennis.

6. Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King was a natural attacking player whose movement and instincts around the net helped make her one of the most successful champions in tennis history. She was especially effective on grass, where quick points and aggressive positioning suited her game perfectly.

King won 12 major singles titles, including six Wimbledon championships. She also achieved enormous success in doubles and mixed doubles, disciplines where volleying ability and quick reactions are particularly valuable.

Her serve was not based on overwhelming power. Instead, King used placement, disguise and intelligent movement to create opportunities. She understood where the return was likely to go and often appeared to be waiting for the ball before her opponent had completed the shot. Her attacking instincts remain an important example of how serve-and-volley tennis can depend on intelligence as much as physical power.

5. Rod Laver

Rod Laver could do almost everything on a tennis court. Although describing him only as a serve-and-volley specialist would ignore the variety of his game, attacking the net was a central part of his success.

The Australian won the calendar Grand Slam twice, first as an amateur in 1962 and again in the Open Era in 1969. His ability to perform on grass, clay and hard courts demonstrated the extraordinary adaptability of his game.

Laver was not physically large, so his attacking tennis relied on speed, anticipation and exceptional racket control. He could serve and move forward, attack behind a groundstroke or suddenly change the direction of a rally by approaching the net.

That variety made him extremely difficult to read. Laver showed that serve-and-volley tennis did not need to be predictable. It could form part of a complete attacking system in which the opponent never knew exactly when the next move toward the net would come.

4. Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras combined one of the greatest serves in tennis history with outstanding movement and finishing ability at the net. During the 1990s, his attacking game became particularly difficult to stop on fast courts.

Sampras won 14 major singles titles, including seven Wimbledon championships. For many years, his total of 14 majors was the record for a male singles player. His dominance at Wimbledon demonstrated how perfectly his game suited grass.

The first serve could produce an ace at any moment, but the second serve was also a major weapon. Sampras could generate pace, spin and depth that prevented opponents from attacking comfortably. He then moved forward and used solid, controlled volleys to finish points.

Sampras was more than a pure serve-and-volley player. He had an excellent forehand and could compete from the baseline when necessary. However, when he needed his best tennis on a fast court, the combination of serve, movement and net play was often impossible to contain.

3. John McEnroe

Few players have ever possessed better natural hands than John McEnroe. His volleying was based on touch, timing and anticipation rather than simple power. He could absorb the pace of an incoming ball and redirect it into an area of the court that seemed impossible to reach.

McEnroe won seven major singles titles and became world number one in both singles and doubles. His doubles achievements are particularly important when evaluating his net skills because doubles constantly tests reactions, positioning and volley technique.

The unusual service motion of McEnroe also made his attacking style difficult to read. He generated angles that pulled opponents away from the center of the court, creating open space for the following volley.

His rivalry with Bjorn Borg produced some of the most famous matches in tennis history. The contrast was perfect: Borg preferred controlled baseline tennis, while McEnroe looked for opportunities to move forward. When McEnroe was playing at his highest level, the transition from serve to first volley could appear almost effortless.

2. Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova developed one of the most complete attacking games ever seen in professional tennis. Her left-handed serve, athletic movement and exceptional volleying helped her dominate during the 1980s.

Navratilova won 18 major singles titles and an extraordinary collection of doubles and mixed doubles championships. Wimbledon became the tournament most closely connected with her career. She won the singles title there nine times, including six consecutive championships from 1982 through 1987.

Her serve-and-volley style placed opponents under constant pressure. Navratilova was extremely fast moving forward, which allowed her to reach an ideal volleying position before the returner could create a strong passing shot. Once established at the net, she could finish with power or use a soft angled volley.

Fitness also played an important role. Navratilova brought a new level of physical preparation into the women game, giving her the strength and speed required to maintain aggressive tennis throughout long matches.

Few players in either the men or women game have combined serve-and-volley tennis with such sustained dominance.

1. Stefan Edberg

Stefan Edberg is perhaps the clearest example of pure serve-and-volley tennis performed at the highest possible level. The Swedish champion did not have the biggest serve of his generation, but almost every part of his service motion was designed to help him reach the net quickly.

Edberg won six major singles titles, including two Australian Opens, two Wimbledon championships and two US Opens. He also reached the French Open final in 1989, showing that his attacking style could succeed even on clay.

What separated Edberg from many other serve-and-volley players was the quality of his movement. His serve carried him naturally forward, and he seemed to reach the ideal net position before the return arrived. His first volley was technically excellent, particularly on the backhand side.

Edberg could also hit difficult low volleys without losing control. Instead of attempting to finish every point immediately, he often used the first volley to create an easier second one. That made his attacking game efficient and difficult to disrupt.

His Wimbledon rivalry with Boris Becker remains one of the greatest demonstrations of serve-and-volley tennis. They met in three consecutive Wimbledon finals from 1988 to 1990, with Edberg winning twice.

For technique, movement, consistency and commitment to attacking the net, Edberg remains one of the purest serve-and-volley masters the sport has ever produced.

What Makes a Great Serve-and-Volley Player?

A powerful serve helps, but serve-and-volley tennis involves much more than serving hard. The objective is to create a weak or predictable return and then control the point from the net.

• An accurate serve creates the first advantage.
• Fast forward movement reduces the space available to the returner.
• A strong first volley keeps control of the point.
• Quick reactions help against powerful passing shots.
• Anticipation allows the player to cover the correct side of the net.
• Confidence is essential because passing shots will sometimes succeed.

The best attacking players also understood that not every volley needed to be a winner. A controlled first volley could move an opponent outside the court and create a simple finish with the next shot.

Why Serve-and-Volley Tennis Became Less Common

Modern professional tennis is very different from the eras dominated by players such as Edberg, McEnroe and Navratilova. Improved racket technology and modern strings allow returners to generate exceptional pace and spin from difficult positions.

Players are also stronger from the baseline. A return that might once have produced an easy volley can now become a powerful passing shot. Changes to playing conditions have also encouraged longer rallies at many tournaments.

Serve-and-volley has not disappeared completely. Modern players still use it as a surprise tactic, particularly behind a strong first serve. It can be extremely effective when an opponent stands far behind the baseline to return.

What has largely disappeared is the player who attacks the net after almost every serve throughout an entire match. That makes recordings of the great serve-and-volley champions even more interesting today.

The Lasting Legacy of Attacking Tennis

Serve-and-volley tennis required courage. Moving toward the net gave an opponent a clear target for a passing shot, so players had to trust their serve, reactions and technique on every point.

Pat Cash and Patrick Rafter demonstrated the athletic side of the style, while Boris Becker added enormous power. John Newcombe and Rod Laver helped define attacking tennis in an earlier era. Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova showed how devastating the strategy could be in the women game, while Pete Sampras used it to dominate Wimbledon during the 1990s.

John McEnroe may have possessed the finest natural touch at the net, but Stefan Edberg remains one of the strongest examples of the complete serve-and-volley specialist. His movement from the service line to the net, technical precision and willingness to attack on almost every opportunity made the style look simple, even though it was anything but simple.

The traditional serve-and-volley player may now be rare, but the greatest masters of the technique remain an important part of tennis history. Their matches offer a reminder that tennis can be won not only through power from the baseline, but also through timing, movement, anticipation and the courage to keep moving forward.