Serve vs return map
WTA clay hold and break percentage: the serve vs return map
PickFinder Team•Updated:
Marta Kostyuk has the best combined hold and break percentage on WTA clay over the last 52 weeks: 71.1% of service games held and 55.8% of return games broken. Elena Rybakina holds the most at 79.9%, and Elena Pridankina breaks the most at 64.2%. The average is 60.2% hold and 39.9% break over 895 matches.
- WTA clay hold %
- 60.2%
- WTA clay break %
- 39.9%
- Best hold + break: Marta Kostyuk
- 126.9
- Players with 10+ matches
- 65
Tour level only: WTA clay events, the Grand Slams and the Finals. Challenger and WTA 125 matches have their own view, because mixing them would flatter anyone who plays down a level. Minimum 10 finished matches in the last 52 weeks.
Who sits where
Complete (11)
Above average on both serve and return.
- Marta Kostyuk71 / 56
- Iga Swiatek70 / 57
- Mirra Andreeva75 / 45
- Elina Svitolina75 / 44
- Aryna Sabalenka76 / 42
Big server (22)
Holds above average, breaks below it.
- Elena Rybakina80 / 38
- Hailey Baptiste77 / 27
- Donna Vekic77 / 31
- Linda Noskova76 / 32
- Jessica Pegula74 / 37
Returner (22)
Breaks above average, holds below it.
- Elena Pridankina55 / 64
- Maja Chwalinska64 / 60
- Aliaksandra Sasnovich60 / 55
- Elina Avanesyan54 / 54
- Sinja Kraus57 / 52
Grinder (10)
Below average on both.
- Elsa Jacquemot52 / 32
- Shuai Zhang64 / 29
- Alexandra Eala59 / 35
- Tatjana Maria63 / 36
- Elena-Gabriela Ruse60 / 39
WTA clay hold and break, sorted by hold + break
| 1 |  Marta KostyukWorld No. 10 | Complete | 71.1% | 55.8% | 126.9 | 3.3 | 17 | 16-1 |
| 2 |  Iga SwiatekWorld No. 9 | Complete | 70.1% | 56.8% | 126.8 | 1.7 | 12 | 9-3 |
| 3 |  Maja ChwalinskaWorld No. 12 | Returner | 63.8% | 60.4% | 124.3 | 0.4 | 10 | 9-1 |
| 4 |  Mirra AndreevaWorld No. 3 | Complete | 75.4% | 44.5% | 119.9 | 2.7 | 25 | 22-3 |
| 5 |  Elena PridankinaWorld No. 206 | Returner | 54.5% | 64.2% | 118.7 | 1.0 | 11 | 8-3 |
| 6 |  Elina SvitolinaWorld No. 6 | Complete | 74.8% | 43.6% | 118.5 | 2.8 | 15 | 12-3 |
| 7 |  Aryna SabalenkaWorld No. 2 | Complete | 75.8% | 42.1% | 118.0 | 3.3 | 11 | 8-3 |
| 8 |  Elena RybakinaWorld No. 1 | Big server | 79.9% | 37.7% | 117.5 | 4.5 | 13 | 10-3 |
| 9 |  Mayar SherifWorld No. 56 | Complete | 68.9% | 47.5% | 116.4 | 0.5 | 15 | 12-3 |
| 10 |  Coco GauffWorld No. 4 | Returner | 64.4% | 50.9% | 115.3 | 2.0 | 14 | 10-4 |
| 11 |  Yulia StarodubtsevaWorld No. 54 | Complete | 69.8% | 45.4% | 115.2 | 1.0 | 16 | 10-6 |
| 12 |  Sorana CirsteaWorld No. 15 | Complete | 71.5% | 43.6% | 115.1 | 2.8 | 16 | 12-4 |
| 13 |  Aliaksandra SasnovichWorld No. 101 | Returner | 60.0% | 54.9% | 114.9 | 2.7 | 11 | 6-5 |
| 14 |  Anastasia PotapovaWorld No. 27 | Complete | 66.8% | 47.5% | 114.3 | 3.0 | 21 | 16-5 |
| 15 |  Diana ShnaiderWorld No. 11 | Complete | 67.1% | 45.3% | 112.4 | 0.7 | 15 | 10-5 |
| 16 |  Marie BouzkovaWorld No. 23 | Big server | 71.3% | 40.2% | 111.5 | 0.8 | 11 | 7-4 |
| 17 |  Anhelina KalininaWorld No. 55 | Returner | 62.5% | 48.8% | 111.3 | 1.0 | 20 | 14-6 |
| 18 |  Jessica PegulaWorld No. 5 | Big server | 74.0% | 37.2% | 111.2 | 2.9 | 12 | 9-3 |
| 19 |  Madison KeysWorld No. 24 | Big server | 73.5% | 37.7% | 111.2 | 3.4 | 10 | 7-3 |
| 20 |  Zeynep SonmezWorld No. 67 | Complete | 65.7% | 45.3% | 111.0 | 0.4 | 10 | 6-4 |
| 21 |  Camila OsorioWorld No. 69 | Returner | 63.7% | 46.3% | 110.0 | 0.8 | 11 | 6-5 |
| 22 |  Belinda BencicWorld No. 19 | Big server | 70.9% | 39.1% | 109.9 | 2.2 | 12 | 8-4 |
| 23 |  Sinja KrausWorld No. 92 | Returner | 57.1% | 52.0% | 109.2 | 0.9 | 13 | 8-5 |
| 24 |  Elina AvanesyanWorld No. 149 | Returner | 54.0% | 54.3% | 108.4 | 0.1 | 13 | 8-5 |
| 25 |  Linda NoskovaWorld No. 8 | Big server | 76.0% | 32.4% | 108.3 | 6.4 | 10 | 6-4 |
| 26 |  Iva JovićWorld No. 13 | Big server | 69.5% | 38.7% | 108.1 | 2.6 | 13 | 8-5 |
| 27 |  Donna VekicWorld No. 39 | Big server | 76.5% | 31.0% | 107.5 | 3.2 | 12 | 8-4 |
| 28 |  Leylah FernandezWorld No. 18 | Big server | 73.1% | 34.2% | 107.3 | 2.1 | 14 | 8-6 |
| 29 |  Jelena OstapenkoWorld No. 25 | Big server | 65.9% | 40.9% | 106.8 | 3.8 | 12 | 7-5 |
| 30 |  Jil TeichmannWorld No. 147 | Returner | 64.8% | 41.7% | 106.6 | 0.8 | 10 | 7-3 |
| 31 |  Anna BondarWorld No. 74 | Big server | 69.3% | 36.8% | 106.1 | 3.0 | 21 | 13-8 |
| 32 |  Katie VolynetsWorld No. 78 | Returner | 58.2% | 47.6% | 105.8 | 0.9 | 13 | 7-6 |
| 33 |  Simona WaltertWorld No. 133 | Big server | 68.8% | 36.6% | 105.3 | 1.5 | 12 | 6-6 |
| 34 |  McCartney KesslerWorld No. 110 | Grinder | 64.0% | 40.8% | 104.8 | 1.5 | 11 | 7-4 |
| 35 |  Naomi OsakaWorld No. 16 | Big server | 71.7% | 33.0% | 104.7 | 4.5 | 10 | 7-3 |
| 36 |  Daria KasatkinaWorld No. 73 | Returner | 58.0% | 46.7% | 104.6 | 2.2 | 11 | 6-5 |
| 37 |  Alina CharaevaWorld No. 82 | Returner | 60.7% | 43.8% | 104.5 | 2.5 | 13 | 7-6 |
| 38 |  Hailey BaptisteWorld No. 45 | Big server | 77.3% | 27.0% | 104.3 | 6.9 | 11 | 7-4 |
| 39 |  Paula BadosaWorld No. 57 | Returner | 61.3% | 42.9% | 104.1 | 3.2 | 13 | 8-5 |
| 40 |  Viktoriya TomovaWorld No. 381 | Big server | 66.0% | 37.8% | 103.9 | 1.3 | 10 | 5-5 |
| 41 |  Elvina KalievaWorld No. 120 | Returner | 60.0% | 43.9% | 103.9 | 2.8 | 10 | 5-5 |
| 42 |  Dalma GalfiWorld No. 155 | Grinder | 65.0% | 38.8% | 103.8 | 3.6 | 12 | 7-5 |
| 43 |  Peyton StearnsWorld No. 37 | Big server | 68.8% | 34.9% | 103.7 | 3.1 | 11 | 6-5 |
| 44 |  Solana SierraWorld No. 104 | Returner | 61.8% | 41.6% | 103.3 | 2.1 | 10 | 7-3 |
| 45 |  Tamara KorpatschWorld No. 61 | Returner | 59.6% | 43.0% | 102.7 | 1.3 | 15 | 10-5 |
| 46 |  Oleksandra OliynykovaWorld No. 62 | Returner | 56.1% | 46.2% | 102.3 | 0.8 | 18 | 12-6 |
| 47 |  Alycia ParksWorld No. 59 | Big server | 67.5% | 34.4% | 101.9 | 4.2 | 16 | 9-7 |
| 48 |  Karolina PliskovaWorld No. 51 | Big server | 69.0% | 32.9% | 101.9 | 3.9 | 14 | 10-4 |
| 49 |  Ann LiWorld No. 31 | Big server | 68.9% | 32.7% | 101.7 | 4.2 | 14 | 8-6 |
| 50 |  Emiliana ArangoWorld No. 171 | Grinder | 60.8% | 40.8% | 101.6 | 1.0 | 11 | 5-6 |
| 51 |  Yulia PutintsevaWorld No. 64 | Returner | 58.6% | 42.8% | 101.4 | 1.7 | 14 | 7-7 |
| 52 |  Anna KalinskayaWorld No. 26 | Returner | 56.3% | 44.9% | 101.2 | 1.3 | 12 | 8-4 |
| 53 |  Panna UdvardyWorld No. 86 | Grinder | 63.4% | 37.4% | 100.8 | 1.8 | 22 | 13-9 |
| 54 |  Kaitlin QuevedoWorld No. 71 | Grinder | 63.6% | 36.4% | 100.0 | 1.8 | 10 | 6-4 |
| 55 |  Catherine McNallyWorld No. 65 | Returner | 54.3% | 45.5% | 99.8 | 0.5 | 11 | 6-5 |
| 56 |  Petra MarcinkoWorld No. 87 | Returner | 57.4% | 42.1% | 99.5 | 1.4 | 11 | 7-4 |
| 57 |  Elena-Gabriela RuseWorld No. 60 | Grinder | 60.2% | 39.0% | 99.2 | 3.5 | 10 | 5-5 |
| 58 |  Tatjana MariaWorld No. 66 | Grinder | 62.7% | 36.2% | 98.9 | 4.4 | 13 | 6-7 |
| 59 |  Jaqueline CristianWorld No. 79 | Big server | 66.9% | 31.8% | 98.7 | 3.0 | 11 | 5-6 |
| 60 |  Leolia JeanjeanWorld No. 91 | Big server | 70.0% | 28.1% | 98.1 | 3.2 | 10 | 6-4 |
| 61 |  Dominika SalkovaWorld No. 128 | Returner | 48.2% | 49.1% | 97.4 | 1.2 | 12 | 5-7 |
| 62 |  Sloane StephensWorld No. 113 | Big server | 66.0% | 30.0% | 96.0 | 1.4 | 10 | 5-5 |
| 63 |  Alexandra EalaWorld No. 17 | Grinder | 58.8% | 35.0% | 93.8 | 0.8 | 10 | 4-6 |
| 64 |  Shuai ZhangWorld No. 95 | Grinder | 64.4% | 29.3% | 93.7 | 2.0 | 11 | 4-7 |
| 65 |  Elsa JacquemotWorld No. 130 | Grinder | 51.6% | 31.6% | 83.2 | 2.2 | 10 | 3-7 |
Using serve vs return map on a prop
Find both players
Say Elena Rybakina (79.9% hold, 37.7% break) meets Elena Pridankina (54.5% hold, 64.2% break). One is a big server, the other a returner.
Compare the return with the average
Elena Pridankina breaks 24.3 points more often than the 39.9% average. Take that off Elena Rybakina's 79.9% hold and you get about 55.6%. A rough read, not a model.
Use it on a prop
Fewer holds for the server mean more break points and shorter service games, which matters for break points won, games won and aces. Check the ace matchups page for the ace side of the same pairing.
Then check the surface
Switch to a surface view. Hold and break rates move a lot between clay and grass, and the all-surface number can hide it. Today's line and the hit rate against it are in PickFinder.
How this is counted
Counts finished singles matches, Nov 2, 2025 to Nov 2, 2026, the same 52-week span the rankings use. Hold % is service games won divided by service games played. Break % is return games won divided by the opponent's service games, with tiebreaks left out of both, the same way the Game Lines cards count them. Retired matches and walkovers are left out. Tour level means WTA events, the Grand Slams and the Finals, qualifying included. Challenger and WTA 125 matches are left out and have their own view, because they would flatter anyone who plays down a level. Team cups are left out too. A player needs 10+ matches to appear. Hard includes indoor hard. The dashed lines are the average of the players shown (65.4% hold, 41.6% break), and the four types are named from those lines.
Serve vs return map FAQ
Who has the highest hold percentage on WTA clay?
Elena Rybakina at 79.9% over 13 matches. The average is 60.2%.
Who breaks serve most often on WTA clay?
Elena Pridankina at 64.2% of return games over 11 matches. The average is 39.9%.
What does hold plus break mean?
Add a player's hold % and break %. Above 100 means winning more games than they lose. 53 of the 65 players here are above 100. Marta Kostyuk is highest at 126.9, and Elsa Jacquemot is lowest at 83.2.
What are complete players, big servers, returners and grinders?
The four corners of the chart, split at the average of the players shown (65.4% hold, 41.6% break). Complete players beat both, big servers beat only the hold number, returners beat only the break number, and grinders beat neither.
Are Challenger matches included?
No. Challenger and WTA 125 matches have their own views, so a player who plays down a level isn't flattered here.
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