The Hold Game: How Alcaraz Ruled Serve at the 2025 US Open

The number that unlocked the tournament

Carlos Alcaraz just closed the 2025 US Open as a serving fortress, holding in 98 of 101 service games across the fortnight. That single number explains as much about his title run as any highlight reel. It was not luck. It was an integrated system where biomechanics, patterns, and psychology reinforced each other. If you want one definitive source, the ATP’s final write up notes the 98 of 101 figure and how few first serve points he dropped on the last day in Arthur Ashe Stadium. See the details in the ATP report on the final, which records that staggering hold rate and his dominance behind first serve. ATP final recap and service numbers.

Why start with holds rather than aces, winners or flashy tweeners? Because at the elite level, breaking serve is rare, momentum is fragile, and a pristine hold rate exerts slow pressure on the opponent’s mind. When you stay unbroken, the scoreboard does the squeezing for you. Every return game becomes a bonus hunt rather than a rescue mission.

This article unpacks the modern hold game through Alcaraz’s lens, then translates the lessons into drills and gear tweaks for serious juniors and competitive adults. We close by looking ahead to how these patterns might shape Laver Cup choices in San Francisco, September 19 to 21.

The trifecta behind elite holds

The modern hold rate is driven by a three part engine. You can copy much of it even without tour level power.

1) Physical engine: legs first, hips and shoulders last

The serve is a ground up kinetic chain. What separated Alcaraz in New York was not just racquet head speed. It was how efficiently he loaded the floor and kept the chain unbroken to contact.

Key physical anchors:

• Leg drive that is vertical and directional, not just a jump. The back knee flexes while the front hip stays tall, which prevents collapsing into the court. Watch for a quiet head through the toss and into trophy position.
• Hip shoulder separation that peaks between the trophy and racquet drop. The hips begin to open as the shoulders resist a fraction longer, storing elastic energy through the obliques and lats.
• A deep but relaxed external rotation in the hitting shoulder at the bottom of the racquet drop, followed by a whip like internal rotation into contact.

Three on court checkpoints for juniors and competitive adults:

1. Quiet toss line: freeze your frame at the top of the toss. Is the ball slightly into the court on first serves and closer to your head on seconds? Is the non hitting arm still up as the racquet drops? If that left arm collapses early, the torso opens too soon and you leak power.
2. Back heel peel: the back heel should rise as the hips drive up and forward. If it stays glued, you are pushing mostly up without converting energy into ball speed and location.
3. Finish high and around: after contact, the forearm pronates and the hand finishes outside the lead hip. A finish that yanks straight down often signals you forced the motion with the arm.

Two gym cues that convert directly to the court:

• Split stance medicine ball shot put, 3 sets of 6 per side. Emphasize hip lead, torso lag, then thrash the ball. The sequence models hip shoulder separation into a diagonal release.
• Trap bar jumps at submax load, 3 sets of 4, long rest. Train intent and vertical impulse without grind. Think crisp, not heavy.

2) Tactical blueprint: serve plus one that chases a weakness, not a pattern for its own sake

Alcaraz did not protect his serve with a single magic ball. He won service games by starting the point in his strength and in the returner’s discomfort. Translate that idea as follows.

• Serve plus one means you pick a location that sets up a predictable ball. If your favorite forehand is inside out from the ad corner, then a T serve from the deuce side funnels a backhand return down the middle that you can run around. If you like the backhand up the line, a wide slice in the ad court can bait a crosscourt return you can knife straight.
• Use the body serve against aggressive returners. When returners step in, a firm body serve at the outside hip jams their swing path and forces a block or half volley. The goal is not an ace. The goal is a floating ball that sits up for your first strike into space.
• Mix the same location at different speeds and spins. A flat T at 105, then a slice T at 95, then a kick T at 90 looks different to the returner’s eyes and feet. Variety inside a theme beats variety for its own sake.
• Scout the opponent’s contact height. If the backhand return floats under shoulder height, kick wide is not your best jam. Try a skidding slice body that stays low and steals their contact zone.

A checklist for your notebook:

• Deuce first serve: 60 percent to the T, 25 percent body, 15 percent wide.
• Ad first serve: 45 percent wide, 35 percent body, 20 percent T.
• Second serves: pick one location to lean into under stress. Many juniors do better with kick body in both boxes because it creates a slow ball right into their preferred forehand.

The numbers above are not commandments. They are a starting mix you can adjust once you see which returns are landing short.

3) Mental operating system: between point scripts that survive delays

The US Open is noisy, the service clock keeps everyone honest, and big moments come with delays. Alcaraz thrived inside that chaos because his rituals were robust and repeatable. Build the same scaffolding.

• Release the last point. Use a physical gesture like flipping the strings with your thumb while exhaling through the mouth for a slow count of four. Name what you are releasing in one neutral word, such as “frame” or “net”.
• Reset attention to the controllables. Touch the strings, check your grip, feel the seam on the ball. These tactile anchors pull your focus into the present.
• Rehearse one cue for the motion. Keep it simple and body based. Examples: “tall left side”, “drop then drive”, or “hips first”.
• Decide the serve plus one before the bounce routine. Many players bounce, then decide. In a loud stadium or a crowded club match, micro delays sneak in and hijack your intention. Decide first, then bounce. The time between decision and motion should shrink as the match gets bigger.

If a stadium announcement or towel delay eats up the clock, use a mini script that works in ten seconds: one breath out, one look at the target above the tape, one bounce, go.

Turn pro patterns into drills you can run this week

The best part of the hold game is that you can practice it in layers. Here is a progression you can put straight into a 90 minute session with a partner or as a coach run practice.

Drill 1: Box target tree for first serve accuracy

• Setup: Place four cones two feet inside each corner of the boxes, plus a frisbee or flat disc on each center line two feet inside the service line for body serves.
• Sets and scoring: 5 balls per target, 40 total. A first serve that lands in the cone window counts 1. A ball that hits the cone is 2. Body serve that lands on the disc is 2.
• Goal: 26 points at the end of the set means you are tracking to hold against pressure at your level.
• Coaching cue: do not swing harder to hit targets. Say your cue out loud before each ball. If the left arm drops early or the head tilts at contact, slow down and lengthen the toss height by an inch.

Drill 2: Body serve builder against aggressive returners

• Setup: Partner starts on the baseline, feet inside the court line. Server declares body serve only for 10 minutes.
• Constraint: returner must try to take the ball early and redirect down the line. That intention forces a full swing that is sensitive to jammed contact.
• Scoring: server gets 1 point for any forced block or miss. Returner gets 2 for a clean redirect. First to 15.
• Coaching cue: aim the body serve at the returner’s outside hip. From deuce, outside hip is the right hip for a right hander. From ad, outside hip is the left hip. The goal is to move their rib cage, not the ball speed.

Drill 3: Serve plus one lanes

• Setup: Create two corridor lanes with cones, each 8 feet wide, one deuce side coarse lane for inside out forehands and one ad side lane for backhand up the line.
• Pattern block: 10 first serves to your T on deuce, run around and hit inside out into lane. Then 10 wide on ad, backhand up the line into lane. Then flip the sequence with seconds.
• Scoring: 1 for serve in target, 1 for first strike into lane. 30 points is the benchmark across 40 balls.
• Coaching cue: cheat with your feet early. If the serve location calls for a forehand run around, recover one step toward the alley during the toss. This is how tour players make the first strike feel on time.

Drill 4: Second serve pressure ladder

• Setup: You must hit 5 second serves crosscourt kick, then 5 down the T flat or slice, then 5 to the body. Only when you clear a rung with 8 of 10 in can you move up.
• Consequence: miss the rung and you start over. If you are coaching, keep the metronome at a 25 second interval to model the service clock rhythm.
• Coaching cue: on kick serves, think tall toss, brush up and away, and allow the back hip to turn through so the chest faces the side fence on the follow through.

Drill 5: Delay proof routine rehearsal

• Setup: Coach or partner randomly interrupts with a towel call, ball change, or fake crowd clap. The delay ranges from 6 to 15 seconds. You must run the ten second mini script when the signal ends.
• Scoring: 10 points for a full routine, minus 1 for any extra bounce or extra look around. The point is to keep the routine crisp, not perfect.

Drill 6: Competitive hold game to 4

• Setup: Server starts each game at 15 all. The returner gets a bonus point if they win the first point of the game. Play no ad.
• Why it works: the server must be on from the first ball and must use serve plus one under scoreboard pressure.
• Coaching cue: pre decide a body serve on the no ad point if the opponent’s backhand return has been stabbing short. Give yourself permission to go body on big points. That is not a coward’s serve. It is a percentage serve.

Gear tweaks that reinforce your hold

You do not need new equipment to hold more often, but small changes can make the kinetic chain easier to repeat.

• Racquet balance: if your racquet feels unstable on body serves, add 2 to 3 grams of lead at 3 and 9 o’clock. If you want a touch more pop on flat T balls, try 2 grams at 12 and match with 2 grams under the butt cap to keep balance familiar.
• Strings and tension: if your second serve is sitting up, increase cross tension by 2 pounds to firm the string bed while keeping mains the same. If you are missing long on first serves, drop both mains and crosses by 1 to 2 pounds to increase pocketing and arc.
• Grip audit: overgrips get slick faster than you notice. Change every 6 to 9 games in summer conditions. If your index knuckle is drifting during the bounce routine, draw a tiny mark on the bevel as an anchor.
• Shoes: look for a slightly stiffer forefoot plate if your front foot collapses during the load. A firm forefoot can cue ground reaction force timing. If your knee grumbles, a shoe with a softer heel and firm midsole can split the difference.
• Ball choice for practice: on serve days, train with slightly older balls for first serve targets and newer balls for second serve kick. The contrast teaches you to shape the ball with spin rather than bail out with speed.

How this informs Laver Cup pairings in San Francisco

The Laver Cup format rewards teams that can lock down holds, then pounce on a few return games when the match value spikes over the three days. It lands at the Chase Center in San Francisco from Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September 21, and the event’s own announcement lays out those dates and venue details. See the official note on San Francisco as host. San Francisco named host city for 2025.

What would you expect tactically from Team Europe if Alcaraz is in the doubles mix? Here are three likely themes that mirror his US Open hold game.

• I formation with body first balls: start points with a firm body serve, net player shades toward the server’s backhand side, and the server’s first groundstroke is inside out away from the poach. This is a jam then separate approach that limits the returner’s swing and uses the second ball to pull the pattern open.
• Australian formation on key ad points: show Australian to invite a crosscourt backhand return into the net player’s zone, then either poach early or fake and sit on the shoulder high floater. The server aims T to compress the geometry.
• Serve plus one pre calls: in a loud arena, the server and net player pre call locations and poach intention between points. The net player’s first move is timed to the returner’s shoulder turn, not the ball strike, which is the pro tell.

For Team World, expect pairings that combine a first strike server with a fast, low takeback returner. That mix pressures second serves and creates body serve counters. When returners stand aggressive, watch for body serves that pin the outside hip, not just a hard hit middle ball. Expect the jam on big points because it is the most repeatable choice under noise and nerves.

Singles lineups will favor players who back up holds with athletic first strikes. In Laver Cup’s escalating points format, day three swings on a few returns. If you can guarantee two clean holds per set, the match tilts your way as soon as you sniff one short second serve.

A two week implementation plan you can use now

Below is a simple microcycle designed for a good junior or competitive adult who wants to copy the hold game.

Week 1

• Monday: strength power split. Trap bar jumps 3x4, split squat 3x5 each leg, anti rotation press 3x8. On court 45 minutes, Drill 1 and Drill 3.
• Wednesday: mobility and shoulder care. Sleeper stretch 2x45 seconds, thoracic rotations 2x8 each side, band external rotations 3x12. On court 45 minutes, Drill 2 and Drill 4.
• Friday: live points. Drill 6 to 4 games, then serve plus one sets to 10 points.
• Saturday: match play set with a focus on body serves on no ad points.

Week 2

• Tuesday: medicine ball sequence 3x6 shot put each side, overhead slams 3x6. On court 60 minutes, expand Drill 3 lanes and add second serve targets.
• Thursday: delay proof rehearsal. Run Drill 5 for 20 minutes, then play tiebreakers that require a declared serve plus one before each point.
• Weekend: tournament or match play. Track first serve locations and first strike direction. Bring a notebook, draw the service boxes, and log locations with a simple dot code. Patterns you measure are patterns you can repeat.

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Final take and next steps

Alcaraz’s 98 of 101 holds were the product of a complete system, not an ace count. The legs created repeatable power. The serve plus one turned returns into sitters. The mental script insulated him from New York’s inevitable delays. If you integrate those three layers, your hold rate jumps quickly. Start with the body serve, marry it to a first strike you love, then protect that pattern with a simple routine you can execute in ten seconds.

Action plan for this week:

• Pick a single body serve location in each box and hit 40 balls to the disc target.
• Pre decide your serve plus one for deuce and ad, write it on your wristband if needed.
• Rehearse the ten second script until it feels automatic.
• Make one small gear tweak, not three at once. Test for two sessions, then reevaluate.

Then watch how many return games you start treating like opportunities, not emergencies. If you want the off court work and mental routines mapped to your schedule, start a plan with OffCourt.app. Your future hold rate will thank you.