How Alex de Minaur Can Beat Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in 2026

Why 2026 demands a different De Minaur

Alex de Minaur’s speed has always been elite. His problem against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz is not getting to balls. It is what happens once he gets there. In the biggest matches, the exchange after the first strike decides the outcome. Sinner and Alcaraz set the terms with a heavy serve or a bruising return, take the middle of the court early, and make you defend from crouched or stretched positions. De Minaur’s game thrives on movement and neutralizing, but to flip these matchups in 2026 he must win more points in the first four shots and punish short balls with conviction. For context on how these matchups tilt under pressure, see our breakdown of Sinner vs Alcaraz 2025 mental tactics.

This blueprint breaks the off season into three levers that any serious junior, parent, or coach can adapt:

• A body rebuild that turns his endurance engine into an elastic sprinter who hits heavier without losing speed.
• A mindset reset that replaces hope with habits under scoreboard pressure.
• Serve plus one and court position adjustments that preempt Sinner’s linear depth and Alcaraz’s short-angle chaos.

The goal is not to become Sinner or Alcaraz. The goal is to become the sharpest possible version of De Minaur, with specific tools to dent their strengths.

The body rebuild: add elastic power without losing speed

Power is not just muscle. It is coordination, stiffness at the right moments, and the ability to turn the ground into free energy. De Minaur’s off season should bias toward elastic qualities while protecting his superpower, repeat sprint speed.

Strength that serves the stroke

• High bar trap bar deadlift, 3 sets of 4 at 85 percent of estimated max, two days per week. Focus on stiff ankles and a fast concentric. The aim is neural drive, not hypertrophy.
• Split squat with front foot elevated, 4 sets of 5 per side at a load that leaves two reps in reserve. The front foot elevation simulates the shin angles seen at contact on wide balls and helps stabilize the knee at aggressive positions.
• Half kneeling cable chop, 3 sets of 6 each, explosive. This links hip rotation to the rib cage and sets up a quicker first forehand.
• Pull up plus isometric hold at top, 3 sets to near failure with a 10 second hold on the last rep. Stable shoulders mean a cleaner contact point on stretch forehands and kick serves.

Elastic power and first step speed

• Hurdle hops into broad jump, 4 x 3 hops plus 1 jump. Minimal ground contact aims to teach stiffer tendons and better timing through the kinetic chain.
• Lateral bound to stick, 3 sets of 5 per side. Land quietly and hold the stick two seconds to groove deceleration angles used in open stance defense.
• Flying 10 meter sprints with 20 meter build, 6 reps, full recovery. Track peak velocity and time to peak. The goal is a faster approach into the court after a short ball.
• Medicine ball step behind slam, 4 x 5 per side with a 3 kilogram ball. This mirrors the serve plus one forehand sequence and teaches sequencing from the ground up.

Mobility and durability that protects the blueprint

• Ankles: calf raise with 2 second pause at the bottom and top, 3 x 10. Add single leg pogo hops, 3 x 20 seconds, to build stiffness without impact fatigue.
• Hips: 90 90 transitions and adductor rock backs, 2 sets of 60 seconds. Loose hips lower injury risk during emergency slides on hard courts.
• Thoracic spine: sidelying windmills and open books, 2 x 8 each side. A more mobile rib cage lets the shoulder clear safely on high backhands.

A two-week microcycle that fits the tennis calendar

• Monday: Heavy lower body strength plus on court serve plus one patterns for 60 minutes. Finish with 10 minutes of return footwork ladders.
• Tuesday: Power plyometrics and 75 minutes of live baseline games to 7 with bonus points for forehand finishing. End with short sprint repeats.
• Wednesday: Upper body strength and light skill work on volleys and drive volleys. Mobility session in the afternoon.
• Thursday: Speed session and 90 minute set play focused on first strike depth. Add 20 minutes of second serve patterns.
• Friday: Strength maintenance, short and sharp. On court point construction with constraints like only one crosscourt allowed.
• Saturday: Match simulation with pressure scoring. Recovery flush afterward.
• Sunday: Off feet recovery, soft tissue, and video review.

The principle is simple. Lift heavy enough to move the force needle. Jump and sprint with intent to convert force into speed. Keep sessions short and crisp to arrive fresh for tennis. For deeper lifts and dosing built around his strengths, see our De Minaur offseason power plan.

Mindset reset: pressure management by design

When Sinner or Alcaraz takes time away, tension shows up in two places: breath and backswing. De Minaur’s mental plan must be as scripted as his serve targets.

A reliable between point routine

• Walk to the back fence with a longer exhale than inhale to lower arousal. Try a 4 in and 6 out breathing rhythm for three cycles while eyes are down.
• Rehearse one performance cue, not a result cue. Good options are Shoulder tall or Lift through contact.
• Decide the next play with a simple if then. If first serve lands wide on the deuce side, then first forehand rolls heavy to the backhand corner. The brain executes simple rules faster than hopes or wishes.

Pressure inoculation in practice

• Break point ladder: server starts 0-40 every game for 20 minutes. The server earns a point on the ladder only by holding serve. This makes aggressive accuracy a habit under stress.
• Three ball kill box: feed a neutral ball, then the player must finish within three balls into a taped 6 by 6 foot box in either corner. Keep score to 11. This teaches clear finishing shapes and ideal margins.
• Heart rate cap sets: play to 4 with a chest strap. The rule is you must execute two breathable routines and return to a specific heart rate zone before serving again. This anchors habits to physiology.

Language that travels to match day

• Replace negative self talk with neutral, factual language. Instead of That backhand is terrible, use That backhand floated long from a late contact. Next is earlier set.
• Use past tense to end ruminations. Missed the ball. Moving on. The period matters.
• Build a finish script that is specific. Up a break, plan a second serve body serve at 30-40 in both boxes. Knowing the choice reduces indecision under noise.

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. Coaches can plug these drills into weekly plans and track responses over time.

Serve plus one: design points that bother Sinner and Alcaraz

Sinner takes big, early cuts if you let him see the ball. Alcaraz disrupts rhythm with angles, drop shots, and surprise pace changes. The serve plus one plan must deny their favorite pictures.

Patterns that stress Sinner

• Deuce side first serve wide, first forehand high and heavy to Sinner’s backhand, then finish to open court. The key is height. A shoulder high ball blunts his backhand line change and keeps the rally in a less dangerous crosscourt.
• Deuce side body first serve, first forehand early into the middle third. The deep middle ball reduces angles and gives De Minaur time to take the next ball on the rise.
• Ad side kick to backhand, sneak in behind the serve for a first volley to backhand corner. Sinner loves rhythm off the return. A volley touch breaks that rhythm and moves him out of his strike zone.

Patterns that stress Alcaraz

• Deuce side first serve T, first forehand hard into the body. The goal is to jam his forehand take back so the reply floats. Be ready for his immediate short angle counter.
• Ad side slice wide serve, first backhand deep middle with height. The middle push takes away his forehand inside out lane and buys time to step into the court.
• Second serve body serve more often. Alcaraz devours predictable second serves. A body serve puts the ball under his eyes and limits footwork wizardry.

The first four shots must be decisive

Build sessions around serve location charts and the first ball landing zone. Use cones to create 4 by 4 foot windows. Score a bonus point only when the first ball lands in the planned window. Over time, shrink the window by one foot to raise precision without tipping into fear. A simple audit after practice should answer two questions: Did the serve hit the planned third of the box, and did the first ball match the pattern call. If not, tighten the call sheet, not just the swing.

Court position: own the middle third and throttle depth

Court geography wins rallies before they begin. Against Sinner and Alcaraz, De Minaur must claim more contacts inside the baseline and vary ball height to interrupt their timing.

Return position and contact height

• Against Sinner first serves, start a half step further back than usual, but commit to taking second serves on the rise just inside the baseline. This split stance keeps both options intact. Testing in practice is simple: if the contact point on second serve returns is consistently above waist height, move in another half step.
• Against Alcaraz, the goal is to deny his first forehand short angle after your return. Aim the return deep middle and recover diagonally forward, not sideways. That diagonal recovery puts you inside the baseline for the second ball.

Use three stock balls to change the picture

• Deep middle high roller. Play this when pinned to neutralize and earn time. It takes away the opponent’s first angle and sets your feet to counter.
• Low short cross slice. Use it only after you have pulled them wide with height. The slice drags them below net level and invites an approach ball.
• Line change drive at shoulder height. Pull the trigger when the opponent’s outside foot is still recovering. If their outside foot has not planted, you own the line.

Finish from the air

• Drive volley as a second serve weapon. After a deep middle return, look to take the next ball out of the air from inside the service line. Practice with a constraint: any drive volley finished crosscourt must land past the service line or it does not count.
• Swing volley on the short loop. Feed a sequence of three balls that simulate the Sinner backhand loop. Finish the third out of the air into the big side. Keep a tally for clean, center hits.

Scouting dashboards and a feedback loop that adapts

Numbers are useful when they guide action. De Minaur’s team can build a simple dashboard and any serious player can mirror it with phone video or a basic tracking app.

Track weekly:

• First serve location percentage by third of the box. Goal is at least 65 percent to the planned third on deuce and ad points called as patterns.
• First forehand and first backhand landing zones. Tag depth by three bands and height by three bands. Aim for 60 percent of first forehands landing deep with above net height.
• Return contact position relative to the baseline. Count how many second serve returns are struck inside the baseline. Target 55 percent and climbing.
• Approach and volley success. Record not just win percentage but entry type. Highest value entries are short cross slices and high roller bait balls that produce sitters.
• Break point conversion. Separate by pattern executed versus pattern missed. Do not let noisy outcomes hide missed plans.

Add one subjective line per match: Did the picture look like the plan. If not, fix the plan or the first two shots, not the entire identity.

Four week integration block before the Australian swing

Before the heat and tempo changes of the Australian summer, review our ATP 2026 heat rule guide so practice loads and cooling routines match real match conditions.

Week 1: Power foundations and simple patterns

• Three full strength sessions with lower volume, high intensity.
• On court, two 60 minute blocks focused on serve wide plus first forehand heavy cross on deuce. Film from behind. No outcome scoring, only plan adherence.
• One match play day with service games starting at 0-40 to rehearse pressure routines.

Week 2: Speed and first strike

• Reduce heavy lifting to two sessions. Increase plyometrics and flying sprints.
• On court, add return plus one patterns. For Sinner prep, prioritize deep middle returns and line change on ball three when his stance is open. For Alcaraz prep, mix in body returns and quick step inside to steal time.
• Two match simulations to 4 with alternate scoring and two pressure drills described earlier.

Week 3: Volume taper, precision rise

• One strength session as maintenance, two short power tune ups.
• On court, narrow target windows by one foot and add live serve plus one against a lefty practice partner one day, righty the next. Keep total tennis volume but compress sessions to protect freshness.
• Film three service games and three return games. Audit against the dashboard metrics.

Week 4: Sharpen and travel

• No heavy lifts. Only jumps, sprints, mobility, and brief activation lifts.
• Point construction with constraints only. Every serve must be to a called third. Every first ball must match the pattern call sheet.
• Two abbreviated practice sets with tiebreakers that start at 4-4 to double down on routines.

Throughout the block, fold the mindset work into each session. Breath before serve. If then language on every point. Neutral self talk written on the towel. The habit is the win.

What changes when it works

When the body rebuild adds 3 to 5 kilometers per hour of ball speed without fatigue cost, the first ball becomes a weapon. When the mind stays on the process under noise, the late set errors that used to hand back breaks disappear. When serve plus one and court position are treated like a call sheet in American football, De Minaur spends more time inside the baseline and steals time from Sinner and Alcaraz instead of only reacting to theirs.

Junior players and coaches can use the same principles this month. Build strength that serves the stroke. Teach elastic power with hops and short sprints. Script pressure before it arrives. Then write a point construction menu for the two toughest opponents in your league. You do not need to be the fastest to gain the first strike. You need to be the most prepared.

OffCourt can help you do this with personalized programs that match your match footage and training data to clear daily sessions. Off court training is the lever. OffCourt turns it with a plan you will actually follow.

The last word

Beating Sinner and Alcaraz is not about out muscling them or copying their swings. It is about arriving at contact with a better plan and a body built to execute that plan at speed. In 2026, De Minaur’s path is clear. Add elastic power, ingrain pressure proof habits, and run a sharper serve plus one and court position menu. The blueprint above is specific enough to train tomorrow and flexible enough to evolve after each match. Try one block, track the dashboard, and tell us what changed. If you want a ready made plan shaped to your game, open OffCourt and start your 2026 build today.