A little wonder, every day

Samuel Groth’s serve reached 263 km/h

AI-generated cover of a fictional adult male tennis player serving; not Samuel Groth or the 2012 Busan match and no speed implied. Prompt: “Photorealistic vertical 4:5 editorial cover of a fictional adult male tennis player in mid-serve on an outdoor hard court, racket extended overhead, ball in the air, dynamic sports photography, stadium background softly blurred. Not Samuel Groth or the 2012 Busan match; no speed claim or measurement implied. No readable signs, logos, numbers or text.” Generated 20 October 2026.

Andy Murray serving to Rafael Nadal in their 2011 US Open semi-final; photographer Madeleine Ball; CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Murray%27s_serve_V_Nadal.jpg. Attribution: Madeleine Ball, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Ernests Gulbis serving to David Nalbandian at the 2008 Pacific Life Open; photographer IvanAndreevich; CC BY 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ernests_Gulbis_Serve_01.jpg. Attribution: IvanAndreevich, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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AI-generated cover of a fictional adult male tennis player serving; not Samuel Groth or the 2012 Busan match and no speed implied. Prompt: “Photorealistic vertical 4:5 editorial cover of a fictional adult male tennis player in mid-serve on an outdoor hard court, racket extended overhead, ball in the air, dynamic sports photography, stadium background softly blurred. Not Samuel Groth or the 2012 Busan match; no speed claim or measurement implied. No readable signs, logos, numbers or text.” Generated 20 October 2026.

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On 9 May 2012, Australian Samuel Groth served a ball at 263 km/h (163.4 mph) during a Challenger tournament in Busan, South Korea. Guinness World Records describes it as the biggest serve on record unofficially, but the ATP does not recognize it as an ATP Tour-level record: the attempt took place at a Challenger event, where radar guns did not meet ATP measurement standards.