Alycia Parks Just Stunned the Tennis World: 5 Things to Know About the 130 mph Serve Sensation

American rising star Alycia Parks heads into Thursday’s second-round clash against Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan at the Jiangxi Open in Jiujiang looking to extend the momentum that finally broke her eight-match skid earlier this week. The 23-year-old Atlanta native advanced when local favorite Zhu Lin retired while trailing 6-3, 2-1, giving Parks her first completed victory since Wimbledon qualifying and a much-needed confidence boost on Asian hard courts. Why this match matters • Ranking rebound: Parks, who peaked at No. 40 after winning her maiden WTA title in Lyon last year, has slipped to No. 65. A run in Jiujiang could catapult her back toward the top 50 and solidify direct entry into January’s Australian Open main draw. • Power vs consistency: At 1.85 m, Parks owns one of the tour’s heaviest first serves—she topped the 2023 ace leaderboard indoors—and backs it up with flat missiles off both wings. Juvan counters with nimble court coverage and compact backhands, producing long grinding exchanges that can expose Parks’ unforced-error streaks. • Head-to-head: Thursday will be their first tour-level meeting, adding intrigue to an already pivotal encounter. Form guide Parks began 2025 brightly with a semifinal in Auckland but struggled through the spring-summer swing, exiting eight consecutive matches in the opening round. Her huge serve rarely deserted her—she averages 7.4 aces per match this season—yet double-fault flurries and rushed baseline play cost her tight sets. The quicker DecoTurf in Jiujiang rewards first-strike tennis, and Tuesday’s abbreviated win allowed her to conserve energy for the heavier schedule ahead. Juvan, ranked No. 116, survived a three-set scrap against Claire Liu to book the Parks showdown. The Slovenian thrives on redirecting pace and forcing opponents to hit extra balls; she has already registered three top-70 wins this autumn. Keys to victory for Parks 1. First-serve percentage above 60 %: Parks wins 78 % of points behind her first delivery on hard courts; dipping below 55 % drags her into extended rallies that favor Juvan. 2. Controlled aggression on returns: Juvan’s second serve averages just 148 km/h—ripe for Parks’ ferocious forehand strikes. Early breaks would let the American swing freely. 3. Patience in longer exchanges: Mixing in high-margin cross-court topspin before pulling the trigger down the line can cut unforced errors that plagued her U.S. summer swing. Tournament implications The Jiangxi Open champion pockets 280 ranking points and $34,228. Seeded players have fallen early—No. 2 seed Elise Mertens and No. 4 seed Daria Kasatkina exited on day two—opening the draw for a potential Parks breakthrough. Should she defeat Juvan, a quarterfinal against either Xiyu Wang or Sara Sorribes Tormo awaits, both winnable matchups given Parks’ indoor-court pedigree. What Parks said Speaking after her first-round win, Parks noted, “I’ve put in extra reps on my serve and returns these past weeks. When those two click, I feel I can beat anyone.” She also credited coach Rick Macci for re-emphasizing footwork drills to steady her balance on wide forehands. How to watch The Parks-Juvan showdown is scheduled third on Court 1 (approx. 11:00 a.m. local / 11:00 p.m. ET Wednesday) with live streams via WTA TV and Tennis Channel Plus for U.S. viewers. Bottom line If Alycia Parks harnesses her trademark power with smarter shot selection, she has a clear path to her first quarterfinal since January and a timely rankings revival before the tour heads to Europe’s indoor season. Thursday’s duel against Kaja Juvan will reveal whether the big-serving American is ready to reignite the promise that once had pundits touting her as the WTA’s next breakout star.