Why have serve and volley players disappeared from tennis?
Racket technology has changed the way the sport is played. The rackets are more powerful and the athletes are better able to generate topspin today than just 10 years ago. The strings most players use now are geared for more power and less “feel” at the net making volleying more difficult for most players. As a result, the serve if volleyer is more likely to get passed at the net and/or the volley will be more difficult to control. There are still a number of serve and volley players out there but they are generally not ranked in the top 10. Ivo Karlovic, Radek Stepanek, Taylor Dent and Mardy Fish all employ serve and volley play. Serve and volley is not a style that is popular in the women’s game since the retirement of Amelie Mauresmo.
