Novak’s underrated serve gets fresh attention from peers and numbers

novak Djokovic’s serve is getting renewed attention after Christopher Eubanks said many current players on tour consider it underrated, a point Eubanks raised while appearing on Andy Roddick’s podcast, Served. The claim is underscored by career serve numbers that place Djokovic among the game’s most efficient servers.

Novak’s serve gets a second look

Eubanks, who never faced Djokovic in his playing career, told listeners on Served that the Serbian’s serve doesn’t receive as much applause as it should. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam winner, a concrete measure of sustained success that peers often use when weighing which parts of his game are most dangerous.

How peers describe the serve

Eubanks framed the view as a tour-wide perception: many current players believe Djokovic’s serve is underrated. That comment followed a broader conversation about Djokovic’s few visible weaknesses, including a tendency at times to lose focus or composure in tight matches, which can lead to errors, even though he is also widely regarded as mentally tough.

Numbers that back the claim

Career statistics cited in the discussion show Djokovic landing 65% of his first serves and winning 74% of those points, with second-serve points won at 55%. For comparison in the same set of figures, Roger Federer landed 62% of first serves and won 77% of those points, while Rafael Nadal landed 68% of first serves and won 72% of those points.

The combination of peer testimony from Eubanks and those serve percentages formed the core of the episode’s point: the serve is an element of Djokovic’s game that opponents acknowledge but that conversation and applause may underrate.

Eubanks made these remarks during his appearance on Andy Roddick’s podcast, Served, where he discussed the serve alongside Djokovic’s broader strengths and the occasional lapse in composure that can produce errors.