Statistics back up Nadal as best returner on tour

Dec 06, 2018
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Statistics back up Nadal as best returner on tour

published_tag Dec 06, 2018

It's been fact for a while that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the best returners in the world. Now, there's another statistic to solidify them at the top.

Collecting stats from the past four seasons, Nadal has won 50.4 percent of return games when he has won the first point. Djokovic is just behind him in second place at 49.2 percent. Diego Schwartzman, Fabio Fognini and David Goffin round out the Top 5.

This just goes to show how important a good start in your service game can be. Nadal finished 2018 as the ATP's overall return leader, winning 36.5 percent of his return games and converting 45.6 percent of his break point opportunities. Djokovic finished fifth in the ATP return standings list, but No. 1 in the world.