Carlos Alcaraz's 2025 US Open Serve Plus One Blueprint: Drills, Patterns, and Gear

The blueprint in one glance

Carlos Alcaraz just authored a masterclass in first-strike tennis in New York. On his service games he looked composed, quick, and relentlessly purposeful. The pattern was simple enough to diagram on a napkin yet rich enough to withstand elite pressure: a clear pre-serve routine, a reliable serve-to-forehand first ball, constant scoreboard pressure created by aggressive returning, and the footwork to make every strike early and balanced. The best part for coaches, juniors, and serious club players is that each piece can be trained with straightforward drills and measurable checkpoints. For a numbers companion, see Alcaraz's US Open hold stats.

This article breaks the approach into four parts and closes with gear notes on string tension and racquet balance that help first-strike tennis. When we say US Open, we mean the United States Open Tennis Championships. When we say inside-in and inside-out, we mean forehand directions struck from the ad or deuce side after running around the backhand: inside-in travels to the server’s line side, inside-out travels across court.

Pre-serve routines: how calm becomes speed

Alcaraz’s service look begins before the toss. Two ingredients stand out: breath that sets tempo and visual cues that narrow intention. Calm is not passive here. It is a practical way to lock timing.

• Breathing: a consistent in-through-nose, out-through-mouth cycle that finishes just before the toss. The exhale aligns with the start of the motion, which keeps the arm loose and prevents a rushed shoulder turn.
• Visual cueing: a brief soft focus to the back of the toss contact point, then a hard focus to the first-ball target. Soft-to-hard focus acts like a camera lens snapping from wide to portrait. It prevents the false start that often leads to a low toss or a tight wrist.

Drill: the 4-2-6 box breath to toss sync

• Set a timer for 5 minutes. Stand on the deuce court. Inhale 4 counts, hold 2 counts, exhale 6 counts. On the next natural breath, start your service motion as the exhale begins.
• Hit 20 serves without a target. Goal: a consistent toss height that peaks slightly in front of your hitting shoulder. If the toss drifts, shorten the exhale by one count to quicken timing; if it feels rushed, add one count.
• Add a target after 20 balls. Now the breath begins while eyes soften toward the toss zone, then hard focus to the service box corner right before motion.
• Score it: two points for a clean strike that lands in your intended quadrant, one point for any serve in, zero for faults. Target 26 of 40 points.

Drill: quiet-eye preview

Quiet eye is the final focused look at a target before movement. Train it like a golfer does on the green.

• Place a cone in the deuce wide corner and another to the body on the service line T.
• Before each serve, lock eyes on the cone for one full second, then start the motion. No bouncing the ball during that second.
• Alternate wide and body for 16 balls. Goal: 12 of 16 placed within one racket-length of the cone.

Coaching cue: if misses skew long, the breath is finishing too late. Start your exhale as your front shoulder rises in the coil so you are not still blowing out at impact.

First-ball patterns: wide serve plus inside-in or inside-out

The essence of Alcaraz’s first-strike hold is not just a big serve. It is the first forehand he earns. He uses the serve to create a predictable ball, not necessarily a winner. Then he chooses inside-in or inside-out based on opponent position and ball height. For additional targets and progressions, check targets and club-player drills.

Think of the pattern as a two-choice tree you can pre-program.

• Deuce court
  • Primary: serve wide to pull the returner off the court, step inside the baseline, and drive the inside-in forehand down the line to the open lane. This locks the returner to the doubles alley and forces a defensive stab.
  • Secondary: same wide serve, but if the return floats or lands short middle, go inside-out heavy to the opposite corner and follow with a neutral rally ball crosscourt to recover.
• Ad court
  • Primary: serve wide to the left-hander’s backhand or right-hander’s backhand, then hit inside-out to the opposite corner. Use a lower net trajectory to prevent a running down-the-line counter.
  • Secondary: if the returner cheats to cover inside-out, take inside-in firmly to the sideline. Commit early so your chest faces the target as you plant.

Drill: two-cone first-ball tree

• Place one cone on the deuce wide corner of the service box and another one racket-length inside the singles sideline near the baseline.
• Hit two serves wide in a row. After each serve, a feeder tosses a ball into the middle third. On the first ball, play inside-in. On the second, play inside-out. Repeat in the ad court.
• Scoring: one point for landing your first forehand within a singles-court strip two racket-widths from the sideline. Three sets of 10 points per side. Goal: 24 points per side.

Coaching cue: cue your hips, not your arm. For inside-in, land the front foot slightly inside the court with toes pointing to the line so the torso can rotate through. For inside-out, land the front foot slightly more closed to allow the torso to unwind across the court.

Drill: serve plus one with depth gates

• Create a depth gate by laying two rackets on the court parallel to the baseline, three feet inside the baseline.
• Serve wide. The feeder sends a neutral ball. Your first ball must land beyond the depth gate. Only then are you free to attack. If it lands short, rally two neutral balls before changing direction.
• This trains the habit Alcaraz shows repeatedly: do not change direction off a short or rising ball. Establish depth first.

Decision rule you can say out loud

• Shoulder above the ball equals green light to change direction. Shoulder level or below equals stay crosscourt. This prevents the lunging, off-balance inside-in that gives away breaks.

Return-position pressure: how breaks make holds easier

It might seem odd to talk about the return when we are trying to hold serve better. Yet Alcaraz’s return stance is part of why his service games feel unbreakable. By applying pressure in the prior game, he often earns a 15-love and 30-love scoreboard window where his opponent is tight and he can free-swing on serve. Pair your patterns with deciding point routines playbook to convert the biggest moments.

Two practical levers show up consistently.

• Variable depth on second-serve returns. He starts deeper to read the toss, then hops in on the toss to take the ball early. The message is clear: second serves are not safe. That threat forces opponents to go for more on their own second serves later, which yields short returns on your first serves.
• Early court positioning on big points. On 30-all and deuce, he often edges in by a shoe length and aims deep middle. This shrinks angles and tilts the next rally ball in his favor if he breaks or even if he pushes the server to a long game.

Drill: plus-one trigger after a break point

• Play a practice set. Every time you create a break point, regardless of result, begin your next service game with a scripted pattern: deuce wide serve, inside-in; ad wide serve, inside-out. This pre-commits to being decisive.
• Track holds that occur immediately after you applied heavy pressure on return games. Players are often surprised to find these holds are quicker and cleaner. Use the data to encourage aggressive return stances.

Drill: return hop-in to neutralize

• Stand two steps behind your normal position. As the server’s toss leaves the hand, hop in one step and split. Aim deep middle with a compact swing.
• Play out the point. Ten repetitions on the ad side and deuce side. Goal: 7 of 10 returns in the middle third beyond the service line. This feeds the same first-ball neutral you want on your service games.

Movement efficiency: the hidden engine of serve plus one

None of the patterns work without clean movement. Alcaraz shows three pieces you can feel immediately on court.

• Split timing keyed to contact. He lands the split as the opponent strikes, not as the ball crosses the net. This earlier timing gives an extra microsecond to choose inside-in or inside-out.
• Gravity step after the serve. As the serve motion unwinds, his back foot drops naturally into the court. That gravity step vaults him forward for the first ball without a choppy shuffle.
• Hop-to-settle on the first ball. Instead of sliding through contact on hard courts, he uses a small hop to land with both feet under him so the chest can rotate fully through the forehand.

Drill: gravity step to inside-in lane

• Serve at 60 percent pace. As your back foot lands, let it drop inside the baseline. Immediately take a long crossover with the outside leg.
• A feeder sends a shoulder-high ball to the middle. Drive the inside-in. Focus on the hop-to-settle before contact.
• Three sets of 8 balls each side. If you land open-stance with the chest still facing the back fence, you are late. Start the gravity step sooner by accelerating the follow-through of the serve, not the toss.

Drill: X-pattern footwork ladder

• Lay a speed ladder diagonally from just inside the baseline toward the sideline. Think of it as an X pattern you will run through.
• Serve, then run through three ladder boxes angled toward the deuce sideline, plant, and hit inside-out. Next ball, run through three boxes angled toward the ad sideline, plant, and hit inside-in.
• This reinforces directional intent through the feet. The hand follows the hips.

A three-day mini plan for juniors and coaches

You can import the blueprint into a school-week microcycle. Keep the sessions short and specific. The goal is pattern clarity and the ability to hit the first ball on time.

• Day 1: routine and serve targets
  • 10 minutes breath-to-toss sync, then 30 serves deuce wide, 30 serves ad wide. Score with the cone system.
  • 15 minutes two-cone first-ball tree on the deuce side, then repeat on the ad side.
  • Mental cue: soft focus to hard focus. Write it on your wristband.
• Day 2: depth gate and gravity step
  • 15 minutes depth gate drill. Do not allow a direction change on a short first ball.
  • 15 minutes gravity step to inside-in lane. Finish with a 10-ball competitive set: you must earn 7 points by landing the first ball past the depth gate.
• Day 3: return pressure feeds holds
  • 10 minutes hop-in return neutralizers to deep middle.
  • Play a first-to-four games set. Every service game begins with your scripted plus-one pattern. Tally time to hold. The aim is shorter, cleaner holds.

Coaching notes: video a single service game per session from behind the baseline. Count the number of steps between serve landing and first-ball contact. Alcaraz often compresses that to two decisive moves. If you see five or more choppy steps, you are leaking time.

Troubleshooting the serve-plus-one map

• Problem: you nail the wide serve but miss the inside-in long.
  • Cause: contact is too far behind the front hip and the chest is closed. The path must be through the ball, not around it.
  • Fix: shadow swing the hop-to-settle and freeze with the chest facing the target. Then hit with a lower net clearance and 10 percent less racquet head speed for five balls before returning to full speed.
• Problem: returners start guessing wide and running around early.
  • Cause: predictable rhythm. You are serving at the same pace from the same toss height.
  • Fix: add a body serve every third ball and vary toss height one inch up or down while keeping the breath timing identical. The ball flight changes slightly without changing your motion.
• Problem: you win the pattern but lose the next ball.
  • Cause: you are admiring the first strike and not recovering.
  • Fix: add a mandatory recovery step to the center mark on every rep. Score a minus one if you do not finish the step within one second of contact.

Gear notes that unlock first-strike tennis

Equipment should support predictable depth and fast acceleration through the first ball. Use these as starting points, then personalize with a certified stringer or coach.

• String type and tension

  • Full polyester: if you like to swing fast on the first ball and rely on spin for control, start at 46 to 52 pounds. Lower tensions around 46 to 48 pounds increase dwell time and ball speed, which helps the serve and the heavy inside-out forehand. If you miss long, inch up by 1 to 2 pounds. If the ball feels dead, inch down by 1 pound.
  • Hybrid: polyester mains with a nylon or multifilament cross protect the arm and add pocketing. Start at 50 to 54 pounds in the mains and 52 to 56 pounds in the crosses. If your first ball floats, add 2 pounds to the mains. If it jars the arm, drop the mains by 2 pounds or try a softer polyester.
  • Gauge: 1.25 millimeters is a good blend of spin and durability for juniors and strong club players. Lighter hitters or those seeking more feel may prefer 1.20 millimeters.
  • Weather adjustments: cool, heavy-night conditions slow the ball. Add 1 pound. Hot, dry afternoons make the ball fly. Subtract 1 pound.

• Racquet balance and weight

  • Head-light bias: a balance of 4 to 6 points head light helps racquet acceleration on the serve and gives you quicker forehand preparation for inside-in. If you struggle to get the racquet up on the first ball, add a leather grip or a couple of grams under the handle to shift balance more head light.
  • Swingweight: target 315 to 330 for a blend of pop on serve and stability on the first forehand. If your first ball gets pushed around, add 2 to 3 grams of lead at 3 and 9 o’clock and match it with a gram in the handle to preserve balance.
  • Static weight: a strung weight around 320 to 335 grams suits many competitive juniors and club players. If arm comfort is an issue, prioritize softer strings and lower tension before chasing a lighter frame.

• Grips and overgrips

  • Replace overgrips frequently. A tacky surface reduces squeeze and keeps the forearm loose for faster acceleration.

• Balls and practice environment

  • Train with the same ball type you compete with. Serve-plus-one patterns rely on bounce predictability. If you warm up with slow balls then compete with lively balls, your inside-in depth will miscalibrate.

Always test changes one at a time so you can attribute any improvement to a specific tweak.

How OffCourt supercharges this blueprint

Off-court training is the most underused lever in tennis. OffCourt unlocks it with personalized physical and mental programs built from how you actually play. To make this blueprint sticky, pair court sessions with three off-court blocks per week.

• Mobility and strength: prioritize thoracic rotation drills and single-leg strength so you can hold posture through the hop-to-settle. Two sets of split squat holds at 20 seconds per leg go a long way.
• Breathing practice: five minutes of box breathing before bed trains the same timing you use before the toss. Consistency off the court makes on-court routines automatic.
• Film study: tag every serve-plus-one point in your last match. Note serve direction, first-ball direction, and depth. OffCourt can help structure this as a recurring habit so you know your real tendencies, not guessed ones.

The endline: a simple system that scales

Alcaraz’s service dominance in New York looked spectacular because it was simple and repeatable. Breathe to set timing. See your target. Serve wide to create a predictable first ball. Choose inside-in or inside-out based on ball height and opponent position. Move with the gravity step and hop-to-settle so balance never leaks. Use your return stance to tilt the next service game in your favor. Then let smart equipment choices make depth and acceleration feel natural.

Coaches and parents, package the blueprint into small, scored drills. Juniors, build a three-day loop and track your hold quality. Everyone, put one gear change on the calendar this week. The next step is to take your phone to the court, film a single game, and run one of these drills on repeat. If you want a program that connects what you film to what you do off the court, make OffCourt part of your weekly rhythm. First-strike tennis rewards clear habits. Start building them today.