If the serve is about taking free points, the return is about taking them back. In 2026, Jannik Sinner still leads the ATP return rating at 165.7 after Roland Garros, with a cluster of clay-court grinders — Rafael Jódar, Francisco Cerundolo and Mariano Navone — pushing up the board behind him. On the WTA, Coco Gauff, Sara Bejlek and Mirra Andreeva lead the first-return points won category, while Iga Swiatek dominates second-return points and return games won among meaningful samples. Here are the best returners on tour in 2026.

Data update (post-Roland Garros, 22 June 2026): Sinner (165.7) still leads the ATP return categories, but Rafael Jódar (161.1) has surged to second and Alcaraz (160.4) sits fourth after Roland Garros. The WTA return figures below are updated post-Roland Garros (22 June 2026).

ATP Return Leaders 2026

The ATP Return Rating aggregates four metrics: first- and second-serve return points won, return games won, and break points converted. A high rating means a player is consistently dangerous on the opponent’s serve across all four dimensions — not just a baseline grinder who wins long rallies, but someone who actively creates pressure from the moment the ball is in play.

Jannik Sinner leads with a 165.7 return rating, built on 33.7% first-return points won and an exceptional 56.5% on the second serve. He wins 32.3% of return games — the highest in the top 10. Rafael Jódar (161.1) and Francisco Cerundolo (160.2) are next, the clay-court pair separated by barely a point, while Carlos Alcaraz (159.0) and Mariano Navone (157.6) round out a tightly bunched top five. Navone’s 34.2% first-return points won is the best mark in the top 10.

Rank	Player	Return Rating	1st Srv Rtn Won	2nd Srv Rtn Won	Return Games Won
1	Jannik Sinner	165.7	33.7%	56.5%	32.3%	43.2%
2	Rafael Jodar	161.1	34.0%	52.0%	30.4%	44.7%
3	Francisco Cerundolo	161.0	33.0%	53.9%	31.1%	43.0%
4	Carlos Alcaraz	160.4	33.9%	53.2%	29.9%	43.4%
5	Mariano Navone	157.6	34.2%	53.3%	30.5%	39.6%
6	Sebastian Baez	154.1	30.3%	52.6%	25.4%	45.8%
7	Daniil Medvedev	154.0	33.6%	53.1%	27.7%	39.6%
8	Alex de Minaur	153.4	31.5%	54.2%	26.8%	40.9%
9	Novak Djokovic	152.0	31.6%	52.7%	25.8%	41.9%
10	Learner Tien	150.5	30.2%	52.7%	24.5%	43.1%

A few observations: Rafael Jódar is the breakout entry at 2nd — the 19-year-old Spaniard’s wildcard run to the Madrid quarter-finals (beating De Minaur, Fonseca and Kopriva en route) is what propelled him onto the leaderboard. Daniil Medvedev at 8th retains one of the best first-return points won figures (32.8%) reflecting his defensive court positioning. Alex de Minaur at 10th has the highest second-return points won in the top 10 at 54.0% — a reflection of his exceptional retrieval on the less-hander in the group, using his return angles and court positioning from the ad side as a structural advantage.

WTA Return Leaders 2026

On the WTA, the return leaderboards are headed by Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva and Iga Swiatek and Marta Kostyuk in different sub-categories. Kostyuk shone during the Madrid swing, but Iga Swiatek‘s Roland Garros run has carried her to the top of both return games won (46.9%) and return points won (49.1%). Andreeva features prominently across all metrics. Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu also feature in the top 10 across multiple return categories — a reminder that the GB women’s baseline is built on aggressive returning.

First Return Points Won

Winning points off the opponent’s first serve is the hardest task in tennis — the server has full control and typically aims for pace, placement or both. Mirra Andreeva leads the WTA at 44.7% from 17 matches, a figure that reflects her early-ball return style and ability to neutralise big servers. Coco Gauff (43.4%) is third and among the most active players in the top 10 at 16 matches. Iga Swiatek at 40.7% ranks 7th — lower than her second-return numbers, where she is even more dominant.

Rank	Player	1st Rtn Pts Won %	Matches
1	Iga Swiatek	48.7%	31
2	Marta Kostyuk	47.9%	27
3	Coco Gauff	47.4%	37
4	Mirra Andreeva	46.2%	45
5	Daria Kasatkina	45.8%	19
6	Elina Svitolina	45.5%	43
7	Anhelina Kalinina	45.4%	12
8	Belinda Bencic	45.3%	28
9	Jasmine Paolini	44.9%	32
10	Aryna Sabalenka	44.6%	38

Second Return Points Won

The second serve is where returners do their most damage. Hanne Vandewinkel leads at 69.1% from two matches — a small sample. Among meaningful samples, Belinda Bencic (62.3%, 19 matches) and Iga Swiatek (60.6%, 20 matches) are the two standout names. Swiatek’s combination of heavy topspin and early positioning allows her to dictate rallies from the very first shot. Emma Raducanu (59.7%, 14 matches) rounds out the top 10 — her return quality on clay is a reason to watch her closely in Madrid and Roland Garros.

Rank	Player	2nd Rtn Pts Won %	Matches
1	Elena Pridankina	81.3%	1
2	Lisa Pigato	70.0%	1
3	Elina Avanesyan	67.9%	2
4	Jazmin Ortenzi	67.8%	4
5	Ksenia Efremova	66.7%	1
6	Malene Helgø	66.7%	2
7	Iga Swiatek	63.4%	31
8	Julia Riera	62.5%	3
9	Darja Semenistaja	62.4%	5
10	Caroline Dolehide	62.3%	3

Return Games Won

Return games won is the most direct measure of a player’s ability to break serve — it captures how often they convert a service game into a point on the board for themselves. Marta Kostyuk now leads at 47.6% over 21 matches — the dominant Madrid champion is the new face at the top of this category. Iga Swiatek at 44.4% and Coco Gauff at 43.7% sit among the highest-ranked active players, confirming that the WTA’s top returners are concentrated at the top of the rankings, not scattered across the tour.

Rank	Player	Return Games Won %	Matches
1	Iga Swiatek	46.9%	31
2	Coco Gauff	45.8%	37
3	Marta Kostyuk	45.7%	27
4	Mirra Andreeva	43.4%	45
5	Anastasia Potapova	42.5%	33
6	Elina Svitolina	41.8%	43
7	Daria Kasatkina	41.5%	19
8	Belinda Bencic	41.4%	28
9	Iva Jovic	41.3%	39
10	Elise Mertens	41.0%	30

Return Points Won

Overall return points won combines first- and second-serve return performance into a single percentage. Marta Kostyuk now leads the category at 48.7% over 21 matches after her unbeaten Madrid title run. Sara Bejlek (48.6%, 12 matches) and Daria Kasatkina (48.0%, 10 matches) follow. Iga Swiatek at 47.6% and Mirra Andreeva at 47.2% are the two highest-ranked top-10 players here — the most reassuring sign that their return statistics reflect genuine quality against top-level opponents. Coco Gauff (46.9%) and Belinda Bencic (47.2%) are also in the top 10.

Rank	Player	Return Pts Won %	Matches
1	Xiyu Wang	51.5%	4
2	Jazmin Ortenzi	51.4%	4
3	Veronika Podrez	51.3%	4
4	Julia Riera	50.0%	3
5	Despina Papamichail	49.6%	2
6	Iga Swiatek	49.1%	31
7	Sara Sorribes Tormo	48.8%	3
8	Marta Kostyuk	48.6%	27
9	Taylah Preston	48.5%	8
10	Yelyzaveta Kotliar	48.3%	2

For the full picture across serve, return and under pressure, see the 2026 season leaders overview. ATP data is updated post-Roland Garros (22 June 2026) and covers a 52-week rolling window; WTA figures are full-season year-to-date, updated post-Roland Garros (22 June 2026). Sources: atptour.com and wtatennis.com.