Sam Groth is a name you probably know for one of two very different reasons. Either you remember the literal blur of a tennis ball that left his racket at 263.4 km/h back in 2012, or you’ve seen him standing in the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Nepean.
Honestly, it’s a weird trajectory. Most retired athletes go into coaching or open a car dealership. Groth? He became the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in Victoria. But as of January 2026, the script has flipped again. Groth recently announced he won’t be contesting the November 2026 state election. He’s done. Or at least, he’s done with the grueling cycle of public life for now.
It’s a massive call for a guy who seemed to be on a fast track to the top of the political ladder, much like his rise on the ATP tour.
That Ridiculous 263 km/h Serve in Busan
Let’s talk about the thing everyone brings up first. The serve.
In May 2012, Groth was playing an ATP Challenger event in Busan, South Korea. It wasn’t a Grand Slam final. There weren't tens of thousands of people screaming. It was a second-round match against Uladzimir Ignatik. During that match, Groth absolutely unloaded. He hit a serve recorded at 263.4 km/h (163.4 mph).
To put that in perspective, that’s faster than a Category 5 hurricane.
What’s kinda hilarious, and incredibly "tennis," is that he actually lost that match. You can hit the fastest serve in human history and still walk off the court with a loss. That’s basically Sam Groth’s early career in a nutshell—huge weapons, massive potential, but a ranking that took a long time to catch up to the hype.
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The ATP doesn’t "officially" recognize serve speed records because radar guns can vary from court to court, but the equipment in Busan was vetted. It’s in the Guinness World Records. It's real. He even hit two other serves in that same match—255.7 km/h and 253.5 km/h—that would have broken the previous record held by Ivo Karlović.
The Grind to the Top 60
People think Groth was just a "serve bot," but you don't get to world number 53 just by hitting the ball hard. He had to learn to actually play the points.
His breakout year was 2014-2015. He finally cracked the top 100 after reaching the semifinals at Newport. Then came the 2015 season where he reached the third round of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
The Wimbledon match against Roger Federer is legendary for Aussie fans. Groth was the only player to take a set off Federer until the final. He also clocked a 147 mph serve on Centre Court, which is just absurd on grass. He won the Newcombe Medal that year—the highest honor in Australian tennis. He wasn't just a guy with a fast arm anymore; he was a legitimate threat on the global stage.
The Reality of Professional Tennis
- The Physical Toll: Groth almost quit in 2011 because of a shoulder injury.
- The Finances: He made nearly $2 million in prize money, but between travel, coaches, and taxes, that disappears fast.
- The Travel: 40+ weeks a year in hotels. It’s not as glamorous as it looks on Instagram.
From the Court to the Floor of Parliament
When Groth retired after the 2018 Australian Open (playing doubles with Lleyton Hewitt, naturally), he didn't sit still. He did the media thing first—Channel 9, Postcards, sports commentary. He was good at it. Easy-going, spoke his mind.
Then COVID-19 happened.
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The lockdowns in Victoria were some of the longest in the world. Groth has been pretty open about how that frustrated him. He didn’t just complain on Twitter; he joined the Liberal Party. In 2022, he won the seat of Nepean on the Mornington Peninsula, flipping it from Labor.
By late 2024, he was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. He was the Shadow Minister for Tourism, Sport, and Major Events. Basically, he was the face of the party’s future.
Why He’s Quitting Now
On January 4, 2026, Groth dropped the bombshell. He’s out.
The statement from the Leader of the Opposition, Jess Wilson, cited the "significant toll" public life takes on family and relationships. Groth has two young kids. Politics in Victoria is a blood sport, and being the Deputy Leader means you’re never "off."
It’s a rare move. Most politicians cling to power until they’re forced out. To walk away when you’re arguably at your peak influence suggests that the "Drago" (his tour nickname because he looked like Ivan Drago) has found something more important than titles or votes.
What Most People Get Wrong About Sam Groth
A lot of people think he was "just a tennis player" who got lucky in politics because of name recognition. That’s a bit of a lazy take.
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To win a seat like Nepean, you have to knock on thousands of doors. You have to talk about Rosebud Hospital and local bus routes. You can't just talk about that one time you aced Federer. He actually put in the work, which is why his departure is a massive blow for the Victorian Liberals.
What’s Next for Groth?
He hasn't explicitly said what his "Version 3.0" looks like. But if you look at his history, he doesn't stay idle.
Expect him to return to the media landscape, likely in a more prominent role than before. His political experience gives him a level of "gravitas" that most sports commentators lack. He can talk about the business of sport, the politics of stadiums, and the actual game itself.
Takeaways for Tennis Fans and Observers
- The Record Stands: Despite technology getting better, no one has officially topped 263.4 km/h in a match.
- Career Transitions: Groth is a case study in how to pivot. From elite athlete to media personality to high-level politician in under eight years.
- Family First: His 2026 exit is a reminder that even for the ultra-competitive, the "grind" has a shelf life.
If you’re looking to track his final months in office, keep an eye on his advocacy for the Mornington Peninsula infrastructure—it's likely where he'll try to leave his final mark before the 2026 election.
Check the Victorian Parliamentary Hansard for his latest speeches on regional sport funding if you want to see how he’s bridging his two worlds before he hangs up the suit for good.