There are few shots in tennis that stir up debate quite like the underarm serve.
Borges had just returned from a rain delay and the match had resumed only briefly before the shot occurred. Etcheverry lost the point but continued playing after briefly pausing to argue with the umpire over what he thought was poor sportsmanship.
The tournament, Borges went on to win, but the decision sparked fresh debate over whether underarm serves have a place in tennis. Some fans were quick to call for a ban, saying it goes against the spirit of competition.
Now, WTA players Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys have given their thoughts on where they stand on this issue.
The latest episode of ‘The Player’s Box Podcast‘ saw Pegula, Keys, and Jennifer Brady dive into the ongoing debate around the underarm serve.
“I saw a lot of people talking about this, but I don’t really care,” said Pegula.
“He was standing 20 feet away from the baseline. Why wouldn’t he underarm serve?” added Brady.
“It’s not an easy shot,” noted Keys. “A good underarm serve isn’t just something you can whip out on demand.”
Brady echoed that sentiment: “Honestly, it’s actually really hard to hit a good underarm serve!”
Pegula, Keys, and Brady certainly see no reason for the underarm serve to be banned!
As is so often the case, it seems like it’s a vocal minority calling for underarm serves to be banned.
Reacting to a post on X, several tennis fans complained about the tactic.
“Obviously, there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with it. It’s allowed. But tennis is a beautiful sport. This isn’t beautiful. It’s cheap and ugly. A drop shot, on the other hand, requires great skill. This doesn’t. And none of the great players are doing it,” one fan said.
But while some fans argue that the underarm serve is unsportsmanlike, most players, past and present, seem to be fine with it.
Andy Roddick, now retired but once ranked world number one and one of the game’s biggest servers during his playing days, gave a strong defence of underarm serves recently when speaking on his own podcast.
He said: “What’s unsportsmanlike? It’s within the rules.”
If you get caught not paying attention, that’s on you.”
It feels safe to say that Pegula and Keys aren’t alone in their opinion – underarm serves are likely here to stay for quite some time yet!
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