WTA · Right-handed · 3 charted matches · 2024–2025
Raluka Serban
Shot expected value
The share of points Raluka Serban goes on to win after each option in the positions they face most often, shrunk toward tour average when the sample is small. Showing the 8 most-used options; teal marks the best one with at least 30 shots.
Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your backhand side
position worth 45% to the average player · 110 shots
| Option | Used | Win % | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| BH crosscourt | 45% | 52.2%±9.8 | 47.6% |
| BH through the middle | 30% | 31.4%±10.5 | 43.3% |
Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your forehand side
position worth 43% to the average player · 66 shots
| Option | Used | Win % | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| FH down the line | 44% | 40.8%±11.5 | 44.9% |
| FH crosscourt | 29% | 47.0%±13.1 | 46.7% |
| FH through the middle | 27% | 29.6%±12.2 | 41.3% |
Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your middle
position worth 50% to the average player · 58 shots
| Option | Used | Win % | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| FH crosscourt | 36% | 40.4%±12.6 | 52.7% |
| BH crosscourt | 26% | 54.8%±13.8 | 50.9% |
Return +1: drive to your middle
position worth 50% to the average player · 46 shots
| Option | Used | Win % | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| FH crosscourt | 37% | 47.2%±13.5 | 52.3% |
| FH down the line | 30% | 51.8%±14.1 | 53.0% |
Serve under pressure
Pressure predictability index +8 How much less varied Raluka Serban's first-serve direction gets on break points. Positive means easier to read. Based on 42 break-point first serves.
Deuce court
| 1st serve | Usage | Break pt | Won when in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 39% | 30% ▼ | 63% / 66% |
| Body | 42% | 60% ▲ | 56% / 57% |
| T | 19% | 10% ▼ | 66% / 68% |
134 normal · 10 break-point 1st serves
Ad court
| 1st serve | Usage | Break pt | Won when in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 45% | 47% | 67% / 66% |
| Body | 41% | 44% | 53% / 56% |
| T | 14% | 9% | 61% / 64% |
102 normal · 32 break-point 1st serves
Is the serve mix in equilibrium?
Game theory says a well-mixed server wins equally often with every direction they use. If one direction wins more, it's underused and points are being left behind. This is the minimax test Walker and Wooders ran on Wimbledon finals, applied to every charted first serve. Win rates include faults. "Optimal" allows for returners reading a habit. A direction loses 0.19 points per 100 serves for every 10 points of habitual usage, measured from WTA servers whose mix drifted between matches. Shifts stay within the range servers' habits actually vary, the only range that response was measured over.
Deuce court
| 1st serve | Usage | Points won |
|---|---|---|
| Wide | 38% | 50.3%±8.9 n=55 |
| Body | 43% | 53.5%±8.6 n=62 |
| T | 19% | 55.3%±10.8 n=27 |
Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.71).
Ad court
| 1st serve | Usage | Points won |
|---|---|---|
| Wide | 46% | 55.8%±8.6 n=61 |
| Body | 42% | 42.1%±8.8 n=56 |
| T | 13% | 46.1%±12.0 n=17 |
Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.06).
Repeating the previous direction to the same court: −2.8±6.9 points per 100 against switching. Negative means returners read repeats. Tour-wide, repeating costs women about 0.4 points per 100 and costs men nothing, so men's returners don't measurably anticipate direction. (107 repeats, 165 switches.)
Return by serve direction
Return points won against each serve direction, compared with the tour average.
| Serve | Court | Direction | Points | Won | vs tour | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ad court | Body | 34 | 44% | +0.1±10.2 | |
| 1st | Ad court | T | 15 | 35% | −0.7±11.7 | |
| 1st | Ad court | Wide | 31 | 35% | +0.5±10.0 | |
| 1st | Deuce court | Body | 40 | 47% | +4.2±9.8 | |
| 1st | Deuce court | T | 21 | 35% | +2.5±11.0 | |
| 1st | Deuce court | Wide | 20 | 34% | +0.4±11.1 | |
| 2nd | Ad court | Body | 15 | 57% | +1.7±12.2 | |
| 2nd | Ad court | T | 2 | 55% | −0.3±14.5 | |
| 2nd | Ad court | Wide | 12 | 48% | −5.8±12.7 | |
| 2nd | Deuce court | Body | 19 | 58% | +3.4±11.6 | |
| 2nd | Deuce court | T | 18 | 54% | −2.3±11.8 | |
| 2nd | Deuce court | Wide | 3 | 55% | +1.2±14.2 |
Signature patterns
Recurring sequences that win more than Raluka Serban's own baseline, ranked by edge weighted by how often they're used.
Serve → +1
- Not enough data
Return
- Not enough data
Rally, consecutive own shots
- FH crosscourt → FH down the line used 23.3% · won 39% · −4.1±11.4 vs own baseline
Discovered sequences
Mined from every me → opponent → me run of three shots, with no templates. Ranked by how much more often Raluka Serban wins the point once the sequence happens, weighted by how often it happens. Think of them as chess openings.
- FH crosscourt → FH crosscourt → FH down the line used 3.5% · won 40% · −3.6±11.8 vs own baseline · −11.3 vs tour on the same sequence Disrupted by Nuria Parrizas Diaz (2/6), Dominika Salkova (6/14)