Tennis is a global sport and in many ways a global phenomenon. It’s popular across many countries, social classes, and among people from different backgrounds, men and women. There is something universally appealing about the sport, which is why it’s played by both genders.
Professional tennis consists of the ATP Tour, which is the male side of the sport, and the WTA Tour, which is the women’s side of the sport. Let’s take a look at how women’s and men’s tennis compare by using some metrics and general trends observed in the past couple of years.
Speed of the Game
Speed of the game is something that you quickly notice when comparing them. Men’s tennis is faster and considerably so because men generally hit harder than women. It’s been particularly so in the past though it’s not as different in modern times.
For example, Aryna Sabalenka was hitting her forehand the hardest out of all players at the US Open recently. Her average forehand speed was 80 mph compared to Alcaraz’s 79 and Sinner’s 78 mph. Not all women can generate the power of Sabalenka but they are slowly catching on as women’s tennis features more hard hitters today than ever before.
Serve speed is another one where men generate bigger speeds. On average on the ATP Tour, the first serve is around 190 to 200 km/h. On the WTA, it’s more around 170-180 km/h, and that’s noticeable as well.
Whether the game’s quicker and more powerful gameplay contributes to its overall quality might depend on personal preference. However, there is an admiration for power in general, so many fans equate lots of power with being better. Check our article on the fastest ever serves in tennis.
Consistency
One thing that is quite different among the tours these days is the consistency. Men’s tennis tends to be more consistent in what it delivers. For the past 20 years, we had a couple of players dominating the sport without too many players interfering in a meaningful way.
On the women’s side there was something similar but generally, there was more parity involved, especially in the past 10 years or so since Serena Williams slowly started to fade out. There is a higher chance that some outsider will make a big run on the WTA Tour than on the ATP Tour.
It mostly comes down to female players not being as consistent both on serve and on return. The level goes up and down which makes matches more interesting.
You could argue that this makes it a better watch but again it comes down to preference and that’s highly specific for most people.
How Big is the Difference?
The difference between men’s and women’s tennis ultimately is huge because there are many factors contributing. First of all, there are biological differences which allow men to play with more power and pace.
That completely changes the game and it’s why the sports are separate. The best men’s players would easily beat the best women’s players and it’s not even close. Some of the best women’s players historically would struggle against even regular male players and there is actual proof of that.
Legendary player John McEnroe famously said about Serena Williams that she would be badly ranked if she played with men:
“If she played the men’s circuit she’d be like 700 in the world.”
While that created lots of controversy at the time and McEnroe has since admitted to regretting the comment, Serena Williams herself said something similar.
Back in 2013 when she was still at her peak Williams famously said that she would lose 6-0, 6-0 to Andy Murray, one of the men’s top players at the time:
“If I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose 6-0, 6-0 in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes. No, it’s true. It’s a completely different sport. The men are a lot faster and they serve harder, they hit harder, it’s just a different game.”
Williams did actually play against a man back in 1998 when she and her sister played against world No 203 at that time Karsten Braasch. He beat Venus 6-2 and Serena 6-1.
More recently we saw tennis super talent Mirra Andreeva take on an ATP player ranked outside of the top 1000 and lost to him 7-5, 6-2.
So while they are both playing tennis, the biological differences allow men to simply put more into the game which makes it entirely different. Men hit harder, move quicker, produce more pace and have longer endurance on top of playing the best of five matches at Grand Slams.
