The upset that doubled as a blueprint
Taylor Fritz did not just score an upset. He laid out a plan others can use against Carlos Alcaraz in fast scoring formats. In San Francisco, Fritz beat the newly crowned World No. 1, 6-3, 6-2, a result confirmed in the official Laver Cup report. What made the difference was clarity: targeted serves, simple plus-one patterns, return depth to the middle, and a calm reset between points. For complementary context, see our internal breakdown on Alcaraz’s serve-first habits in the serve-plus-one blueprint for Laver Cup.
This article turns those levers into actionable practice menus and closes with gear and tech ideas that help you train the plan. If you want a fast refresher on Fritz’s mentality in pressure moments, check our companion piece, Fritz's no-fear blueprint.
What Fritz did on serve
Alcaraz is a supreme counterpuncher with explosive first steps. Beating him requires feeding him fewer forehand first balls and rushing his contact point. Fritz did both by narrowing serve targets and simplifying the plus-one playbook.
1) Body and jam serves to shrink Alcaraz’s swing
- Primary location on both sides: inside hip and chest. The goal was not aces. It was mishits and blocked returns that sat up mid-court.
- Toss disguise: similar release point for body and T. The less Alcaraz could preload his split, the later his contact and the flatter his reply.
- Cue for servers: think "elbow to belt buckle." If your elbow lines up at contact toward the hip seam, you are sending the ball into the hitting pocket, not the corner.
Training drill
- Target a 3x3 ft square centered on the receiver’s sternum. Hit 15 body serves deuce side, 15 ad side. Track how many returns land short of the service line. Aim for 50 percent or better.
2) Deuce-wide to open the plus-one forehand
- Against a right-hander, deuce-wide pulls the returner into the doubles alley and exposes ad-court space. Fritz’s next ball lived there.
- Decision tree: forehand inside-in if the return was short and middle. Forehand inside-out if the returner recovered too fast to the middle. Avoid flirting with the line unless the opponent guesses early.
Training drill
- Serve deuce-wide. Coach or partner feeds a neutral ball to the middle third. Hit 10 reps of inside-in, then 10 reps inside-out. Track depth with cones two racquets behind the baseline.
3) Ad-court T serves to stop the runaround
- Alcaraz loves to run around and lash forehand returns in the ad court. Fritz countered with flat T serves that jammed the body from the center. Even when not winning outright, it forced backhand contact or a blocked forehand.
Training drill
- Place a 1-meter corridor down the T. Hit 20 serves trying to bounce inside the corridor. After each make, shadow the recovery step to your backhand corner to rehearse the plus-one pattern.
First-strike patterns that held up under pressure
The serve was only half the story. Fritz simplified the point to one or two balls and backed that with decisive court position.
1) 1-2 forehand and finish
- Contact height: chest to shoulder to produce a penetrating trajectory and avoid heavy spin exchanges that Alcaraz typically wins.
- Directional bias: ball two went behind Alcaraz more than through open space. Wrong-footing denied his change-of-direction highlights.
2) Take the middle early
- Target: return or plus-one into the center stripe above net height. Depth to the logo area neutralizes angles, especially on slower, high-bounce conditions.
- Why it matters vs Alcaraz: he creates offense with geometry. Taking the middle early erases that geometry and buys time for the next forehand.
3) Earn the net on your terms
- Fritz picked the right approach balls and finished cleanly, winning 16 of 20 net points, a number highlighted in the ATP Tour recap with net points. That volume was not reckless. It was curated aggression built off the first strike.
Approach selection checklist
- Approach if the ball is above net height and inside the sideline markers.
- Approach behind a body-serve return that lands short or floats.
- Approach behind a wrong-foot forehand, not after a hopeful rally ball.
Return depth that neutralized the first ball
Alcaraz’s serve has improved every season, but his danger still spikes on the first forehand after serve. Fritz’s return posture and depth disrupted that sequence.
- Stance and split: compact base, chest quiet, eyes at net-cord height, split taken just before the upward phase. The goal was not a massive cut. It was early contact to rush the server.
- Primary target: deep middle third, hip-high, two racquets inside the baseline. That target forces a neutral forehand and denies immediate angle.
- Second-serve look: when the toss climbed higher and tempo slowed, step in and cut off height. Land deep with less spin to rob time.
For more on calibrating the middle-first target under pressure, see our internal primer on pressure-proof serving cues.
Return training ladder
- 20 blocked returns to the deep middle off coach serve. Focus on catching the ball early without a full unit turn.
- 20 step-in returns off second serves. Think punch through the back of the ball.
- 10 scenario reps: block deep, then attack the next ball behind the server.
A mental blueprint for short-format pressure
Laver Cup shifts momentum fast because every point feels amplified. Fritz’s composure showed in how he opened each game, handled scoreboard swings, and reset after misses.
Pre-point reset in 10 seconds
- Breath: inhale 3, hold 1, exhale 4 while lowering the shoulders.
- Cue word: one task, not two. Examples: "body serve," "play middle," "heavy legs."
- Picture: see only the first strike. If serving, imagine the ball line to your target and the plus-one court. If returning, see the ball landing deep middle.
Do not evaluate during the point. Decide, act, accept. Evaluation belongs on the bench or at the changeover.
Momentum control in mini-bursts
- After losing two straight points, take one extra beat with the towel. Use a micro-goal for the next two points, not the game. For example, commit to one body serve and one first-ball forehand to the middle.
- After winning two straight points, protect the lead by repeating what earned it. If it was the deuce-wide play, run it again.
- No-ad trigger: plan the play before 40-all. If receiving, stand a half step closer, target deep middle, and be ready to run behind the first ball.
Language that travels under stress
Use verbs that describe movement and contact, not outcomes: "split early," "see seams," "hips through," "middle first." These cues translate in loud arenas and help neutralize scoreboard noise.
Physical prep that powers the plan
The best blueprint dies without horsepower. Here is a practical way to build the specific qualities Fritz showed: serve power, first-step speed, and decel control.
10-day serve-power microcycle
- Day 1: Medicine ball rotational throws 4x6 per side, step-behind overhead slams 3x8, 20 body serves each side at 80 percent intent.
- Day 2: Lower body strength. Trap bar deadlift 4x4 at 85 percent, split squat 3x6, ankle rocker mobility 3x8. Finish with 15 ad-T serves, 15 deuce-wide.
- Day 3: Off or light mobility.
- Day 4: Elastic speed. Keiser or band-resisted shoulder pumps 3x12, approach-step footwork to contact 3x8 per side, 25 body serves mixed sides.
- Day 5: On-court serve plus one. 30 total first serves into body and T, each followed by a scripted plus-one. Track make rate and first-strike depth.
- Day 6: Off.
- Day 7: Strength top-up. Single leg RDL 3x6, split stance cable chop 3x8 per side, wrist pronation with hammer 3x10.
- Day 8: Power blend. Box jump 4x3, scoop toss 4x5, then 24 serves at 90 percent to match day intent.
- Day 9: On-court accuracy test. 40 serves. Land 12 body, 12 deuce-wide, 8 ad-T, 8 ad-body. Misses repeat at end.
- Day 10: Off or easy hit.
First-step speed and brake-turns
- A-skip into split: 3x20 meters. Stop on coach clap and react to a left or right call.
- 3-cone forehand burst: start center hash, explode to deuce sideline cone, plant outside foot, burst back to middle, then out to ad cone. 6 reps.
- Brake and hit: coach feeds a deep ball, sprint to defend, plant and stop within 1 meter, counter down the middle, recover two steps. 8 reps per side.
Net-finish engine
- Crossover approach with volley tree: approach off a ball above net height, then volley middle, volley behind, finish high to open court. 6 trees per side.
- Overhead footwork box: four ladders in a square, coach lobs anywhere inside. Player shuffles, opens, hits overhead, then sprints through a finish gate. 10 balls.
Key metrics to track
- Serve body accuracy percentage
- Plus-one forehand depth beyond baseline cones
- First-step time to first contact zone
- Volley conversion on balls above net height
How Alcaraz can adjust next time
This was not Alcaraz at his ceiling, and he said as much. The counters are clear.
1) Beat the body serve with hip clearance and height
- Pre-set a slightly wider base on return, hold the split a fraction longer, and clear the hitting hip away from the ball. Think "hips back, hands forward."
- Use a higher, heavier return to the middle on body serves. This resets to neutral and buys time for the forehand to uncoil on ball two.
2) Take away the deuce-wide plus one
- Slide earlier to cut off angle, send the return hard and middle to deny inside-in. If Fritz shades middle, go short-angle backhand to force contact outside the sideline on ball two.
- Mix a chip backhand down the line. The skidding ball makes the plus-one forehand tougher to time.
3) Change Fritz’s strike zone
- More kick serves high to the backhand in the ad court to pull contact above the shoulder, then attack the open deuce side with a forehand inside-out.
- Bring Fritz in on your terms. Short low slice to the deuce corner, then pass behind. If he hesitates, wrong-foot early.
4) Mentally, accept a gritty script
- If the court is slow and balls big, do not chase winners early. Build with middle-first depth and squeeze with width later in the point.
- Between points, shrink focus to first touch and feet. Alcaraz thrives when his feet are loud and his choices are simple.
Gear and tools that accelerate training
Racquet families can support different versions of this plan. Choose the one that complements your identity, not the marketing copy.
- 2025 Head Radical: an all-court control and acceleration frame. Great for players who want to drive the middle and finish at net. Use a slightly lower tension to add free depth on the body serve.
- Babolat Pure Drive Gen11: free power on serve and the first forehand. Pairs well with the deuce-wide plus-one pattern. Keep strings fresh to maintain launch window.
- Yonex EZONE: blend of comfort and pop with a larger sweet spot. Useful for players training higher contact points and wrong-footing forehands.
Emerging tools
- Smartwatch passive-arm shot tracking: wearables that infer swing events from the non-dominant wrist can log serve counts, rest between serves, and estimated contact height without a racquet sensor. Use this to enforce microcycle targets and to flag fatigue.
- VR swing feedback: VR trainers that pair hand controllers with ball flight models let you rehearse the deuce-wide toss, the plus-one forehand spacing, and the footwork to approach without court time. Keep sessions short and specific, then confirm on court.
A one-week practice menu to copy and paste
Day 1, serve and plus one
- 60 total first serves: 24 body, 18 deuce-wide, 18 ad-T
- Plus-one forehand to middle on every make
- Score 1 point for a serve that yields a short ball, 2 points for a clean plus-one winner. Target 60 points.
Day 2, return and middle control
- 40 blocked returns to deep middle
- 20 step-in second serve returns followed by a wrong-foot forehand
- 10 approach and finish trees
Day 3, strength and speed
- Lower body force session and first-step reaction ladder
- Finish with 12 serve starts from a stationary base to rehearse rhythm
Day 4, patterns under scoreboard pressure
- Play 6 games to no-ad. Before each game choose one serve target and one plus-one direction. Do not deviate until the game ends.
- Between games, use the 10-second reset script.
Day 5, net finish and overheads
- 30 curated approaches starting above net height, 3-ball volley trees, overhead box
- Track conversion percentage and approach selection notes
Day 6, match play
- One set to four with no-ad, receiver chooses on deciding point
- Video only the first two shots of each point to audit first-strike discipline
Day 7, recovery and review
- Light mobility and a 20-minute mental walk. Record three patterns that produced the most short balls and one return target that felt free.
The takeaway
Fritz’s win was built on controllables: serve lanes that shrink swings, first balls that claim the middle, returns that push the rally neutral, and a short, repeatable mental script. You can train every piece of that. Start with one serve target and one plus-one forehand lane, then layer in return depth and net decisions. For broader context on Alcaraz’s serve evolution and what it means for training weeks, see our tournament-wide study in serve-plus-one blueprint for Laver Cup and the pressure-management checklist in Fritz's no-fear blueprint.