Hold Serve Under Pressure: Copy Alcaraz’s 98-of-101 US Open Blueprint

Why this matters for every serious player

Carlos Alcaraz reclaimed World No. 1 in New York and, more important for coaches and competitors, he won 98 of 101 service games across the tournament and was broken once in the final. As the ATP recap notes, he "finished his US Open run having won 98 of 101 service games" and was broken once in the championship match. See the ATP’s report on how he won 98 of 101 service games.

Holding serve is not magic. It is a repeatable process that blends mental clarity, reliable second-serve pace, and preplanned serve plus one patterns, supported by equipment choices that help you execute those patterns under pressure. Below is a four-part, US Open-backed program you can implement in two weeks, adaptable for strong juniors and the coaches who guide them. For additional context, see how we broke down his run in How Alcaraz held 98 of 101.

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. When you see "OffCourt drill" below, it means you can configure it inside the OffCourt app workflow for tracking, progressions, and reminders.

The Four-Part Program

Part 1: Mental - between-point reset that protects holds

Alcaraz’s holds were built on a repeatable reset. Between points he normalizes stress, decides, and commits. Your task is to install a routine that gets you from the previous point’s emotion to the next serve’s intent in under 20 seconds.

Try this five-step reset, scripted and timed:

1. Walk-away release: Turn from the baseline to your towel or back fence. Drop your shoulders. Exhale through pursed lips for four seconds. Shake out the hitting arm once.
2. Box breath: Four small breaths, each 4 seconds in, 2 seconds hold, 4 seconds out, 2 seconds hold. Keep the head still and the gaze soft toward the court.
3. One cue word: Say it quietly before the next serve. Examples: "Up and through" for second-serve lift, "Tall and loose" for first-serve rhythm.
4. Choose, do not debate: Pick location plus spin now. No mid-toss changes. If you are late choosing, choose body serve by default.
5. Visual snap: See the ball’s first bounce in the target box. Start the routine immediately after the score is called to avoid delay.

OffCourt drill: Program "20-second reset" with a metronome tone every 5 seconds. Record a voice note with your two cue words and play it before practice sets until the sequence is automatic. In matches, track how many points you executed the full reset on serve. Goal is 85 percent or higher.

Scoreboard scripts to keep:

• 0-30 script: Body serve to limit backswing, then plus one deep middle. The goal is contact, not a clean winner. If you miss first serve, immediately add a 2 count to your exhale before the second serve.
• 30-all script: Serve to your highest first-serve percentage zone. If you are even across zones, serve T on deuce, body on ad. Commit to a safe plus one to the biggest space.
• Break point down: If your heart rate is spiking, step off once and re-run the box breath. Choose a serve you have hit well in the prior two games, even if it is predictable. Better to execute a likely ball than chase a surprise.

Coaching note: Juniors often chase aces at stress points. Reframe the win condition. Holding serve is often about forcing a neutral or defensive return, not hitting unreturnables. Tally how many returns you force above net height in your next match. If that number climbs, your hold rate will follow. For more on decision bandwidth, see between-point bandwidth tactics.

Part 2: Physical - power endurance sets that raise second-serve pace under fatigue

Alcaraz’s fortress is his second serve under stress. Your second serve needs velocity and shape late in games when legs are heavy. Build that with short, high-power bouts that mimic a real holding sequence.

Session template, 45-55 minutes, twice per week:

Warm up, 10 minutes

• Jump rope 2 minutes, then 5 med-ball overhead slams, 5 rotational throws each side, 2 sets.
• Serve shadow swings, 10 at 70 percent tempo, 10 at 85 percent tempo.

Block A: Second-serve pace builder, 12 minutes

• EMOM 10: Every minute on the minute, hit 2 second serves at match intent. Use a radar if you have it, or record on phone and estimate pace by bounce depth. Goal is same or better average in minutes 8-10 compared with minutes 1-3. If your average drops more than 5 percent, add more rest or reduce reps to 8.
• One-legged pogo hops, 10 per leg, between sets to simulate leg fatigue.

Block B: 30-30-30 pattern stressor, 10 minutes

• Serve two first serves and one second serve, then immediately sprint 30 feet forward, shuffle 30 feet, then backpedal 30 feet. Repeat 6 cycles with 45 seconds rest between cycles.
• Track second-serve depth through cones set one racket length inside the service line. Count how many land beyond the cones.

Block C: Body-serve accuracy, 8 minutes

• 4 rounds of 7 serves to the body on deuce, 4 rounds on ad. Target the returner’s hip. After each round, do 6 medicine-ball chest passes explosively. Record hit percentage. Goal is 60 percent plus on body serves by week two.

Block D: Recovery and resilience, 10 minutes

• Three rounds of 60 seconds nasal breathing on the baseline, then 60 seconds of relaxed serve shadow swings. Preserve tall posture to cue stretch reflex in the shoulder. Finish with 90 seconds of light jogging.

OffCourt drill: Log Block A average speed and Block C accuracy per session. OffCourt will graph your decay curve across minutes and help you decide whether to add volume or intensity. OffCourt can also auto-suggest progressions like adding a jump serve start for players who need more vertical force.

Safety note: Power endurance for the serve is potent. Cap to two focused sessions per week for juniors during the competitive block, and never more than 150 live serves in a single session. If elbow or shoulder soreness lingers beyond 48 hours, cut volume by 30 percent and check your toss consistency.

Part 3: Strategy - serve plus one patterns that preempt the return

Alcaraz neutralized elite returners by beating them to the first pattern. You do not need his speed to do the same at your level. You need two plays per side that you can run without thought.

Build your pattern menu this way:

• Deuce side, Play A: T serve, plus one backhand down the line to the deuce sideline, then look to finish crosscourt to the open space. This punishes returners who overprotect the wide serve.
• Deuce side, Play B: Body serve that jams the grip, plus one heavy forehand deep middle. This takes away angles and buys time to reset.
• Ad side, Play A: Slider wide to pull the return off the court, plus one forehand to the opposite corner behind them. If the return is chipped, step in with the front foot and take the ball early.
• Ad side, Play B: T serve to shrink their backswing, plus one forehand inside out to the ad corner. Back it up with an inside in if they recover too aggressively.

Mix in serve and volley at 15-0 or 30-love once per set. It is an insurance play that deters deep return positions and earns you a few free points later without hitting harder.

How to choose in real time:

• Scout the return posture in the first two service games. If the returner is deep and leaning back, body serve immediately. If they hug the baseline, test the slider wide early and often.
• Track forehand block height. If forehand blocks sail above net height, follow to the backhand corner and finish there. If blocks are low and skidding, reset middle and make them hit again.
• At 30-all, choose the pattern with the fewest moving parts. If you have to hit on the run to execute it, pick the other one.

OffCourt drill: Create a "two by two pattern card" for your next match. Two patterns per side, written on a pocket index card or saved in the app. Review it at every changeover. For complementary work, practice how to train the return plus one.

Part 4: Product - what is actually transferable from pro setups

It is tempting to buy the exact racquet, strings, and tension your favorite pro uses. The smart move is to copy only what converts to performance at your level.

Transferable elements

• Targets, not tech: Four cones in the service box are the best piece of gear you can buy. Hit 10 balls to each cone, rotating deuce and ad sides, twice per week.
• Grip tack and sweat control: Fresh overgrips, a simple rosin bag, and a towel plan can be worth a break per set in summer. Slipping hands destroy second-serve pace.
• String reality: Most juniors thrive on 44 to 52 pounds with a soft poly or a poly hybrid with synthetic gut. If you are below 12 UTR, full-bed hyper-stiff poly at high tensions is rarely the answer and often the start of arm trouble.
• Swingweight fit: A frame with swingweight in the 315 to 330 range can help strong juniors stabilize through contact on big second serves. Adults without regular strength work are usually better between 305 and 320. Customize gradually with 2 to 3 grams at 12 o’clock, then re-measure.
• Backup plan: Two matched racquets and spare strings prevent panicked mid-match changes when humidity or tension drift shows up.

Non-transferable myths

• Magic frames: Many pros use under-the-paint pro stock frames with custom layups and weights. The retail cosmetic often hides a different interior. What transfers is your confidence swinging on time into the same spots, not an exotic layup.
• Copying exact tension: Even small changes in stringing machine, string age, and ambient temperature make tensions non-equivalent. Build a personal tension window and stay in it.

Sabalenka case study for aggressive baseliners

Aryna Sabalenka retained her title in New York, a masterclass in holding under fire for first-strike players. As Sky Sports reported, she retained her US Open title with straight-sets power and composure, a reminder that confident aggression can protect service games as well as win return games.

On gear, Sabalenka swung a limited-run Blade 98 v9 during her title defense. The lesson is not to copy a limited colorway. It is to ensure your frame, balance, and strings let you accelerate through the ball without steering, especially on second serves and plus one forehands. If your current setup makes you guide the ball late in sets, try small swingweight tuning and softer string beds before chasing an all-new racquet.

A 14-day US Open-backed plan

Day 1: Baseline audit

• Serve 60 balls, 30 per side. Log first-serve in percentage, unreturned rate, and second-serve depth past the cone line.
• Film from behind. Note toss height and drift. Mark two misses you would fix first.

Day 2: Mental install

• Rehearse the 20-second reset with a timer, 15 cycles. Serve 20 second serves afterward and check if routine feels timed, not rushed.

Day 3: Pattern menu

• Choose two patterns per side. Walk through each without a ball, then live ball, 10 reps per pattern.

Day 4: Power endurance 1

• Run Block A and C from the physical session. Set a conservative speed or depth goal. Write it down.

Day 5: Match play set

• One practice set to 6, serving first. Grade yourself on three items: reset executed, correct pattern chosen, positive body language after errors.

Day 6: Off-court mobility and shoulders

• Scapular control and thoracic rotation, 20 minutes. Shadow serves with slow motion sequencing.

Day 7: Review and adjust

• Compare Day 1 and Day 5 numbers. If second-serve depth lags, lower tension 2 pounds or add 2 grams at 12 o’clock.

Day 8: Power endurance 2

• Repeat Block A and add the 30-30-30 stressor. Aim to match or exceed average speed in the final three minutes.

Day 9: Pattern pressure

• Play four games starting at 30-all on your serve. Only run your two patterns. Note which returner position gave you trouble.

Day 10: Recovery and film

• Low-intensity hit and video from the side. Check knee drive and hip extension at trophy pose. Compare to Day 1.

Day 11: Serve plus one scrimmage

• Play first-strike points: serve plus one only, then feed the next ball dead if rally extends. Goal is 70 percent of points finished by the second shot.

Day 12: Mental stress rehearsal

• Simulate a tie-breaker. Before each serve, run the full reset. Use your break-point-down script when you reach 5-all.

Day 13: Full set with constraints

• You must body-serve once per game. Track outcomes. Many club returners hate this ball.

Day 14: Assessment

• Re-run Day 1 audit. Compare numbers and notes. Adjust the next two-week block based on what moved the needle most. For structuring future blocks, review high-yield training methods.

OffCourt can organize the 14-day block automatically and nudge you with the right drill on the right day. 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.

The Hold Quality Index you can track

Create a simple Hold Quality Index after each match. Add these five items, each out of 20, for a score out of 100:

• First-serve in percentage: 20 points if you are 62 percent or higher, scale linearly down to 0 at 40 percent.
• Unreturned rate: 20 points if 35 percent or higher, scale to 0 at 15 percent.
• Second-serve depth: 20 points if 70 percent of seconds land beyond the cone line, scale to 0 at 40 percent.
• Break-point save rate: 20 points if 55 percent or higher, scale to 0 at 20 percent.
• Reset compliance: 20 points if you ran the between-point routine on 85 percent or more of service points, scale to 0 at 40 percent.

Target 78 or higher for a strong hold profile. If your index dips, the category with the lowest sub-score drives your next week’s focus.

Bring US Open confidence to your next match

The headline is irresistible. Alcaraz won 98 of 101 service games and finished the tournament with a single break against him in the final. The method behind it is available to you: a calm reset, a second serve that holds pace when tired, and preplanned serve plus one patterns. Add a gear setup that supports acceleration under pressure and you will feel your hold percentage climb in weeks, not months.

Ready to turn this into a plan that adapts to your exact strengths and match data? Start your two-week hold program in the OffCourt app today and bring US Open-level clarity to every service game.