In the world of professional tennis, while many aspects of the game have evolved, the pre-match coin toss remains remarkably simple. Whether done traditionally or digitally at some events, it boils down to a fundamental decision: heads or tails, and subsequently, the choice to serve first or receive.
This seemingly simple choice carries strategic weight. Brad Gilbert, the acclaimed coach and former world No. 4, suggests in his book `Winning Ugly` that receiving first offers a psychological edge. His reasoning is that if a player chooses to serve and immediately gets broken, they start the match on the defensive. Conversely, choosing to receive and not breaking serve means little is lost, and they`ve had a game to gauge conditions before their own service game.
The decision is rarely made in a vacuum. Factors like weather conditions, how a player`s game matches up against their opponent, the court surface, and even how a player feels on a given day can influence the choice. Some players also opt to choose a preferred end of the court rather than the serve/receive option.
Novak Djokovic noted that his own approach has shifted over his career. Initially, despite confidence in his serve, he leaned towards receiving first, feeling his return game was a greater strength. However, over the last decade, his preference flipped decisively towards serving. Djokovic explained that serving first can set a confident tone and send a message to the opponent. While acknowledging that a slow start and immediate break can lead to self-doubt, he still views starting with his serve as important for personal confidence and psychological messaging.
The strategic nuances of the coin toss are a frequent topic among players. British player Jodie Burrage shared her routine: always choosing tails, and now preferring to receive after previously opting to serve. Her rationale is that receiving first provides a game to settle into the match and offers an early opportunity to pressure an opponent who might start slowly. If she herself starts slow, receiving gives her a game to find her rhythm before serving.
Players known for their strong serves, like Djokovic, often prefer starting with their serve, aiming to hold quickly and then put immediate pressure on the opponent`s serve to gain an early advantage, potentially building a rapid lead.
Greece`s Stefanos Tsitsipas told ESPN he generally prefers to serve first to start the match aggressively. However, he remains flexible, sometimes choosing to receive if he senses his opponent is stressed or if his return game feels particularly strong at that time. While he doesn`t believe the coin toss decision alone decides a match, he acknowledges the mathematical advantage: breaking in the second game after holding your own service potentially leads to a quicker, commanding lead like 3-0, compared to starting with receiving which might result in a 2-1 lead after the first two games.
Statistical analysis from the early rounds of recent Grand Slam events reveals an interesting trend. At both the Australian Open and this year`s French Open, a significant majority of players winning the coin toss in the first round chose to receive. For example, in the men`s first round at Roland Garros, 43 players chose to receive while only 19 opted to serve. A similar pattern was seen in the women`s draw.
However, as tournaments progress into later rounds, the proportion of players choosing to serve first increases considerably, nearing a 50/50 split. In the round of 16 of the women`s event at this year`s Roland Garros, six out of eight coin toss winners chose to serve.
Individual player styles and histories also play a role. Some big servers, perhaps confident in their ability to hold later, choose to receive, hoping to catch an opponent off guard. The tall Reilly Opelka, for instance, opted to receive in his French Open matches this year. Players who have faced challenges with their serve, like Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, tend to choose to serve first as a standard practice.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys mentioned she often chooses to receive to avoid initial serving nerves and to potentially gain an early break opportunity. However, she stressed flexibility, noting that the choice doesn`t fundamentally alter the match outcome, but receiving first can allow for good warm-up hits before needing to execute her serve under pressure.
Former US Open champion Sam Stosur, whose serve was a key weapon, almost always served first throughout her career, only occasionally changing things up in her final year based on feeling and opponent. Daria Kasatkina and Australia`s top-ranked man, Alex de Minaur, generally prefer to receive to apply immediate pressure.
De Minaur elaborated on his preference for receiving to put pressure on the opponent`s first game. However, recognizing that receiving is a common choice, especially on clay courts, he makes a point to practice serving first to be prepared for either scenario.
There is a less common, more psychological choice: letting the opponent decide. Croatian Marin Cilic employed this tactic in his first-round match at Roland Garros. His opponent, Flavio Cobolli, chose to receive, and Cilic successfully held his serve anyway.
For many players, this unusual move would be unsettling. Jodie Burrage admitted that having an opponent offer her the choice would “freak her out,” thankfully something that has never happened to her.
