Understanding the Importance of First Serve in Tennis with Data Analysis

Tennis is a dynamic and complex sport. There are several shots involved in a single point, but only one of them is played without the opponent’s influence: the serve. Indeed, the serve gives players the chance to start the point with a concrete advantage. Having a good serve is an essential aspect for every professional player, but can we correlate a good first serve to an excellent performance? If you are a tennis player, you may have heard the say “You are only as good as your first serve”. Is this true?