Stat of the day: Is Naomi Osaka the best server on WTA Tour?

Naomi Osaka leads the rest of the WTA field in percentage of first serve points won this season - of players who have played at least 20 matches.

The current World No. 42 sits at an impressive 76.2% of her first serve points won. Second is Qinwen Zheng on 74.4%, followed by Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on 72.2%. Fourth and fifith respectively are Russian Liudmila Samsonova on 71.7%, and newly-crowned WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia at 71.6%.

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An interesting question therefore pops up Naomi Osaka the best server on tour? Interesting thought, but most likely the answer is no.

Firstly, the stat is heavily skewed because the four-time Grand Slam champion has played so few matches this season - she has only played 23 in 2022. It therefore feels a little misleading to compare Osaka with Rybakina and Garcia, for example, who have each played 57 and 63 matches respectively.

As well as this, Osaka has faced far fewer top ten opponents than most of the other top five in that list, meaning her serve was likely put under much less pressure than her rivals.

Nevertheless, a percentage gives a good estimation of where a player is with regards to their shot-making. There is no doubt that Osaka has been doing something very well on her first serve.

Which is why it is such a pity the tennis world has seen so little of her this season. There is no doubt that Naomi Osaka is a fabulous tennis player. There is even less doubt that the WTA badly needs her.

While watching Iga Swiatek soar to ever greater heights has been joyous to witness, she needs a rival to push her to even loftier levels - and the tour needs variety.

There is every chance Osaka can get back to the top of her game, but she will need a lot more than 23 matches over 2023 to get close to that.

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