What happened in San Francisco
Taylor Fritz authored the upset of the weekend at the Laver Cup in San Francisco, beating world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6–3, 6–2 and helping Team World seize control heading into the final day. In a 71-minute clinic, Fritz saved early break points, surged ahead, and never let Alcaraz breathe on return or on the first ball. For context on the scoreline and momentum, see the Reuters match report from San Francisco. The official Laver Cup match report notes that Fritz won 16 of 20 net points with 17 winners, the statistical snapshot of an aggressive plan executed with clarity.
The no fear mindset on big points
Coaches often say that champions do the simple thing under stress. Fritz distilled that into three repeatable cues on pressure points.
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Commit to the call. No steering, no last-second change of mind. When the plan was body serve, he hit body with pace. When the call was T serve, he chased it even with tight margins.
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Treat leverage as opportunity. Frame 30-all and break points as green lights to win the point, not traps to avoid losing it. Step up, strike, and move.
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Play the ball, not the name. Keep eyes on height, depth, and spin, not reputation.
Practical mental habit for juniors and teams: use a between-point routine with a single-sentence intention. Example: quietly say, “Body serve then crash inside the baseline.” Anchor with a 4-count inhale and 6-count exhale, then move straight into your toss rhythm. On return, try “First ball to the backhand corner,” then go. Small, specific, repeatable intentions beat vague hype.
Serve plus one patterns that bit deep
Fritz’s serve map took away Alcaraz’s biggest advantage, the heavy counterpunch off a free swing.
- Body first serves, deuce side, then a firm forehand into the open deuce sideline to jam the takeback and mute the explosive counter.
- Flat T serves, ad side, followed by an inside-in forehand that closed space fast. Indoors, the T serve skids and is hard to block back deep.
- Firm second serves up the middle to remove angle and set a predictable first ball.
Key coaching point: the serve location sets the table for a predictable first strike. Aim to shrink swing space, then attack a big target like deuce corner or deep middle. For deeper serve-first context, see our serve-plus-one Laver Cup blueprint and this Alcaraz 98-of-101 serve blueprint.
Early net and court position
The data tells the story. Fritz won 16 of 20 at net, and many were not classic serve-and-volley plays. They were early forward moves after a heavy first strike that forced defensive contact. Message: do not give a great mover three looks. Take the court.
Two patterns stood out:
- Backhand line change then close. Fritz broke the crosscourt pattern with backhand up the line to Alcaraz’s forehand, then closed immediately. Volley targets were deep middle or behind the runner.
- Forehand deep middle, then sneak. A heavy forehand to deep middle took away angle, two quick steps forward, then a volley into the largest space. High percentage because the first ball removes Alcaraz’s geometry.
Why body serves and middle pace neutralize Alcaraz
Alcaraz endorses a control-oriented 98-square-inch frame paired with a shaped polyester, a setup that rewards racquet head speed and spin. That produces a ball that jumps, dips late, and kicks when he gets time and angle.
Indoors on a true hard court, two disruptions hurt that profile:
- Jam contact. Body serves and deep middle strikes crowd the contact point. They shorten the swing path, lower spin rate, and change the dip window. When contact is jammed at the hip or inside the frame line, the reply sits up.
- Remove angle. Serves up the T and hard middle first balls compress the court. Alcaraz thrives on opening angles with crosscourt forehands and shoulder-high backhands. Take away angle for two shots and you force linear rallies where your next ball can finish.
Coaches can show players that these locations are not conservative. They are disruptive, setting up hammer first balls and easy court position.
Practical indoor hard court drills to copy this week
Each drill teaches a piece of the Fritz plan.
1) Body serve ladder, deuce side focus
- Server aims at the returner’s torso on the deuce side for 10 balls. Track jammed vs extended contact. Goal: 7 of 10 jammed.
- Progression: after each body serve, hit the first forehand to deuce sideline within a three-step approach. Miss long, repeat the rep. Miss in the net, subtract two.
- Cues: modestly in-front toss, chase the chest through contact, land inside the baseline to be on time for ball two.
2) Pace up the T plus inside in
- Ad side only for 8-minute blocks. First serves T. First ball inside in to the backhand corner. Approach if the reply lands shorter than the service line.
- Constraint: score only if serve lands in, first ball lands past the service line, and approach happens within three steps.
3) Deep middle forehand, then sneak
- From a neutral rally ball, play a deep middle forehand at 80 percent pace. Take two steps forward, split, and volley the reply deep middle.
- Target: 6 of 8 reps with the volley past the service line. Emphasize posture over swing on the volley.
4) Backhand line change to approach
- Start in a crosscourt backhand exchange. Coach calls line. Player hits up the line, sprints forward, and plays a first volley behind the opponent.
- Scoring: +2 for a behind-volley winner, +1 for deep middle that forces an error.
5) Return against body and middle serves
- Server aims only at the body or down the T. Returner shortens the backswing and sends the ball deep middle with height.
- Two boxes: one step inside the baseline on second serves, toes on the line on first serves.
- Cues: preset compact takeback, ride contact with legs, send it heavy to middle.
6) Drop step plus split to front half
- Movement patterning for early forward pressure. From the baseline, coach feeds a firm ball. Player hits a big first strike, executes a drop step with the outside foot, and sprints into a front-half split.
- Goal: arrive balanced with racquet head above the wrist, eyes level, chest square to the incoming ball.
7) Composure under pressure circuit
- Pair tactical reps with breathing. After each four-ball serve-plus-one sequence, walk to the fence, inhale for 4, exhale for 6, and repeat a one-line intention such as “Body then deuce.” Total of five cycles.
- Add variability by calling a new location late in the routine to simulate a scoreboard change.
Film and data checkpoints for coaches
- First-serve body percentage. Aim for 20 to 25 percent of total first serves to the body on indoor hard for players with big serves.
- First-ball depth. Track whether serve-plus-one forehands land past the service line by at least a racquet length and clear the net by two feet.
- Approach timing. Track how often the hitter moves forward within two steps of the first strike.
For technology and on-bench process that translate to practice designs, see our Laver Cup mic'd benches guide.
How gear influences the ball you face
Alcaraz’s spin-friendly setup encourages acceleration and shape. Use that reality, do not fight it directly.
- Change contact height. Deep middle or body locations push contact down and rob the shoulder-high zone where his forehand is lethal.
- Force early backhand decisions. Middle first balls squeeze geometry and invite a rushed backhand line change. Be ready to pounce.
- Keep strings honest. Many juniors string too tight indoors and the ball flies on the first strike. If you use a firm polyester, consider a small two-pound drop for indoor blocks so you can accelerate without steering.
Physical prep that made the plan possible
Fritz looked explosive between shots because he won the first three steps. You can systematize that.
- Contrast acceleration sets: 2 sets of 5 reps of 5-meter sprints from a split step, then 2 sets of 5 reps of crossover-to-forward bursts. Rest 40 seconds between reps.
- Lunge pattern under fatigue: 3 sets of 6 reps per side of forward lunge to transverse lunge with a medicine ball press. Keep the spine tall and decelerate under control.
- Rotational power with brakes: 3 sets of 6 medicine-ball scoop throws per side into a wall, then stick the landing with a firm base.
Mental training you can borrow today
Pressure routines matter most when you earn or face break points. Build a simple script.
- Box breathing at changeovers: 4 in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold for four cycles.
- Two-word cues in points: one for serve like “Tall toss” and one for return like “See seams.”
- Warm-up visualization: see yourself jamming a returner with a body serve and stepping into the court on the next ball. The brain follows the patterns you rehearse.
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.
What juniors and coaches should take from Fritz
- Map the serve: include roughly 20 percent body and 30 percent T serves indoors to change the return picture.
- Own one first strike: deuce corner or deep middle are your friends.
- Close early: you do not need a perfect approach to earn a comfortable first volley indoors.
- Hold your intention: the best shot is the one you chose with clarity ten seconds earlier.
Final word and next steps
Taylor Fritz did not reinvent himself. He simplified and amplified. Body serves shrank swing space. Pace up the middle removed angle. Early forward pressure collapsed time. On a true indoor hard court, these simple choices add up to a blueprint that even an all-time talent like Alcaraz finds hard to solve.
Coaches, print the drill list and run it twice this week. Players, pick one serve pattern and one approach pattern to own for the next month. Track two numbers: 70 percent of first balls landing past the service line and at least six early approaches per set. If you want help turning this blueprint into a plan built around your match data, start a free profile on OffCourt.