In an era of tennis dominated by baseline power plays and line-hugging passing shots, a powerful forehand is just about the most potent weapon one can possess. But who holds the record for the fastest forehand ever recorded on the ATP Tour?
As the physical demands of tennis have grown exponentially, so too has racket technology.
Not only have swing mechanics advanced to generate more power and topspin, but rackets have changed immeasurably in line with the way modern players hit the ball.
Open string patterns and spin grommets make modern heads a dangerous tool for players with an inclination for topspin, while lighter frames and thicker beams equals effortless power.
While the average forehand speed on the ATP Tour sits at over 80 mph, there are a select few who have blown this metric out the water with a collection of very special forehands.
Fastest Forehands Ever Recorded on the ATP Tour
5. Gael Monfils – 115 mph vs Roger Federer (2010)
This will not the last time Gael Monfils features on this list.
A man put on this Earth simply to entertain has given us some of tennis’ most absurd shots, from leaping smashes to improbable tweeners.
Toweringly tall and slight in build – yet astonishingly mobile – makes him the perfect athlete for tennis. His long reach and loose wrist allows him to generate bucket loads of rotation on the ball.
One of his more memorable shots came in Paris in 2010, as he decimated the ball down the line against a dumfounded Roger Federer, recording a speed of 115mph.
4. John Isner – 117mph vs Juan Martín Del Potro (2018)
Although perhaps best-known for having one of the fastest serves ever recorded on Tour, John Isner’s groundstrokes were equally as devastating.
From a technical standpoint he is a perfect exemplar for solid forehand mechanics, and his consistency at the baseline made him incredibly hard to get past.
This particular match against Juan Martin Del Porto at Miami in 2018 pitted two of the Tours biggest ever hitters against each other.
This second-set rally saw both players crashing the ball over the net, before Isner scurries round the ball to launch a devastating 117mph cross-court forehand, leaving Del Potro puffing out his cheeks and patting his racket in admiration.
See the first highlight below for the forehand.
3. Nick Kygrios – 119mph vs Stan Wawrinka (2019)
Inevitably Nick Kygrios finds himself in the top three given his propensity for simply outrageous power – whether it be on his serve or a monstrous forehand.
Unlike the majority on the Tour, Kygrios’ forehand technique and swingpath is far flatter, meaning the racket head stays higher and he is able to generate wicked rotation with his wrist.
He is synonymous with a ‘slap’ forehand – that is, a short backswing with plenty of flat power that almost looks as if he’s slapped the ball back across the net.
Despite holding perhaps the most eye-pleasing catalogue of ferocious forehands, Acapulco in 2019 saw the enigmatic Australian pulled out his fastest recorded forehand on the Tour against Stan Wawrinka, thundering a forehand back across court at 119mph.
=2. Andy Murray (2011) & Gael Monfils (2022) – 124mph
Andy Murray and Gael Monfils (again) are forced to share the runners-up spot after both breaking the +120mph mark.
The former is better known for his tennis IQ and dogged point construction rather than his all-out power, but on occasion the two-time Wimbledon champion could crash out a lightning forehand.
It is interesting to note that both of these 124mph shots – Murray’s against Fish in 2011 and Monfils’ against Alcaraz in 2022 – both came as a result of higher-than-usual balls.
Instead of brushing up the back of the ball, both players were forced to slap down on it from above, raising their rackets to shoulder height and smashing through the ball – this allows for far more power, and is somewhere between an overhead smash and a forehand.
1. James Blake – 125mph vs Jesse Huta Gulang (2011)
Coming in at top spot is James Blake, whose 125mph return prompted a memorable celebration under the lights at the US Open in 2011.
His opponent Jesse Huta Gulang – who was facing match-point – launched a commendable serve only to have it crashed back at an even faster pace by Blake, who won the match in the process.
Such was the pace of the return that Gulang couldn’t even attempt to hit it back, despite the flight path being almost dead in the centre of the court.
