The 44.6% Advantage.

Is there a business lesson from tennis?

Watching Wimbledon this weekend, a statistic jumped out at me:

First serves succeed 81% of the time.

Second serves, only 56%.

Yes, that's a 25% difference, but 81% is actually 44.6% higher than 56%.

So first serves are actually about 45% more successful than second serves.

The business parallel is striking:

First serves are bold—they involve more power and risk, but when they land, they often win outright. Think of launching an innovative product or making a bold market move.

Second serves are conservative by necessity. You're more focused on getting it safely in play than winning immediately. The serve might land more predictably, but you've given your opponent the advantage.

That's not to say playing it safe is wrong - it keeps you in the game.

Sometimes, survival is the goal.

But here's the key:

Success isn't just about avoiding faults. It's about creating opportunities to win points.

Each attempt provides valuable data.

Use it to perfect that first serve so you can play to win rather than just staying in play.

And remember: whether aggressive or conservative, you need to be ready to adapt to what comes back across the net.