Pressure-proof serving: Alcaraz’s 98-of-101 US Open blueprint

Why 98 of 101 holds is the new gold standard

On September 7, 2025 in New York, Carlos Alcaraz reclaimed World No. 1 and lifted the US Open trophy after holding serve in 98 of 101 games for the tournament. That single stat captures the story of modern pressure management. It was not just first serve speed. It was second serve intent, serve plus one clarity, and a repeatable routine that kept his engine stable when the match was hottest. The takeaway for juniors and coaches is simple. The serve can be made pressure proof if you build the right patterns and train them under stress. The data point that Alcaraz won 98 of 101 service games is documented by the ATP’s event recap, which also notes he was broken only once in the final. You can find that detail in the ATP’s report on the final, where the performance context is laid out clearly: he won 98 of 101 service games on the road to the title and returned to No. 1. Alcaraz won 98 of 101 service games.

This piece breaks down the blueprint behind that number, then translates it into reproducible training blocks that any good junior or high school program can run this week.

The three pillars of pressure-proof serving

1. Aggressive second serves that hold up under heat

2. Serve plus one patterning that decides the first two shots before the toss

3. Between-point routines that regulate arousal and protect decision making

Pillar 1: Aggressive second serves

The modern second serve is not a soft reset. It is a playable weapon that neutralizes the returner’s first strike and buys you the serve plus one ball you want. Alcaraz’s second serve in New York was hit with purpose. Reliable kick to pull the returner up and wide. Enough pace to keep forehands honest. Repeatable height over the net with a clear margin target. When the score tightened he did not guide the ball. He committed to the same shape and speed profile he had trained.

Coaching cues you can copy:

• Use a speed window, not a top speed. Your second serve should live inside a window you can own under stress. For many juniors that is 75 to 90 percent of first serve pace with added spin.
• Fix height and shape. Commit to a net clearance measured in ball heights and a consistent trajectory. Lower bounce height equals more speed or less spin. More kick equals higher clearance. Decide which you need based on the returner’s contact point.
• Aim for a predictable reception. The goal of an aggressive second is not a winner. It is a predictable first ball. That means more body serves and more wide serves to the backhand on key points.

Score-specific standards:

• At 30 all: default to a body kick on deuce, T or body on ad. You want a central contact from the returner and a serve plus one forehand from you.
• At ad in or ad out: serve where your serve plus one rally ball is best. The target is not the service box. The target is the rally ball you want next.

Training block: heartbeat-elevated serve ladders

• 4 sets of ladders. Each set begins with 20 seconds of high-knee runs or a quick shuttle to elevate heart rate. Then serve 10 second serves to a single target under a strict time cap. Record makes out of 10.
• Ladder 1: deuce wide kick. Ladder 2: deuce body. Ladder 3: ad T. Ladder 4: ad body.
• Advancement rule: move up only when you hit 8 of 10. If you go 6 or fewer, repeat. This builds the ability to serve inside a speed window while breathing hard, which mirrors late-game pressure.

Pillar 2: Serve plus one patterning

Serve plus one is the tactic that turns a good serve into a hold. The server maps the next ball before the toss. Alcaraz’s patterns in New York followed two simple logics.

• If the returner camps far back on second serve, kick wide to open the court and take the forehand inside out into the backhand corner. Then look for forehand inside in on ball three if the reply is short.
• If the returner cheats to protect the backhand, serve body to jam. The plus one becomes a forehand through the middle behind the jammed return.

Pattern menu you can train:

• Deuce wide kick, plus one forehand inside out to backhand. Ball three inside in if reply is short.
• Deuce body, plus one forehand through the middle. Ball three to the open ad side.
• Ad T, plus one backhand cross to the safer half. Ball three forehand to the open deuce side.
• Ad body slider, plus one forehand inside out to ad corner. Ball three into space or behind.

Target maps that make patterns automatic:

• First serve placement ratios across a set: 40 percent body, 35 percent to the return backhand corner, 25 percent to the forehand corner. Adjust to the opponent, but start with a bias to body and backhand.
• Second serve map: 50 percent body kick, 35 percent to the weaker wing, 15 percent surprise to the stronger wing to protect the default.

How to build it into practice:

• Pattern rounds. Each round is 12 points. Server chooses one pattern only. Play out points live. Tally hold percentage. Rotate patterns and compare.
• Three-ball scripting. Feed a realistic return after each serve and force the server to hit the scripted plus one to the planned target no matter what. Add a live ball three to finish.

Pillar 3: Between-point routines that regulate the system

Every hold under pressure starts between points. A routine is not superstition. It is a checklist that sets your eyes, breath, and self talk before you commit to a target. Alcaraz’s pace between points in New York never looked rushed or delayed. That is what you want at any level: consistent cadence, predictable breath, uncluttered decisions.

Build the 5R routine:

• Reset: turn away from the last point. Release any tension in shoulders and jaw.
• Respire: two slow exhales through pursed lips. Count three in, four out. Hands on string bed while you breathe.
• Rehearse: visualize serve plus one pattern for this score. See the ball flight and footwork.
• Ready: bounce count set, eyes narrow to the toss triangle. Commit to the target map.
• React: no commentary after contact until the point ends. Replace judgment with cues like up and over or drive through.

If you need drill ideas to practice pressure and routine timing, the USTA has a simple model that fits juniors and adults. Kathy Woods’ session shows how to hit targets under consequence. Use it as a template for your own ladder design. USTA pressure serve drill.

Score-specific rehearsal that actually transfers

Pressure is not generic. It is score dependent. Build your practice in clusters that match the feelings that show up in matches.

30 all package

• 8-point block on each side. Start every point at 30 all. Server must call the pattern out loud before the toss. Track first serve percentage, second serve make percentage, and hold rate.
• Constraint cue: if the first serve misses, the second serve must be body or wide kick only. This forces commitment to the aggressive second serve pattern.

Ad in package

• Play 12 single-point reps from ad in. Rotate patterns, but default to the one that sets up your best forehand. Keep a running tally of how many you closed on the first plus one.

Ad out package

• Same structure, but the server must win two in a row to finish the block. This builds resilience to equalize then close.

Outcome metrics to keep in a notebook

• Second serve in at 30 all and ad points.
• Serve plus one winner or advantage ball rate at 30 all and ad.
• Time between points. Use a phone timer for a few reps to learn a consistent cadence without looking rushed.

Heartbeat-elevated serve ladders in detail

Here is a full 20-minute block you can drop into any session.

• Warm-up: 2 minutes shadow serving while walking the baseline.
• Set 1: 20 seconds skater hops. 10 second serves deuce wide kick. Must clear the net by at least 24 inches. 8 of 10 to advance.
• Set 2: 20 seconds split-step taps. 10 second serves deuce body. Ball must finish within a two-square target taped at center hash. 8 of 10 to advance.
• Set 3: 20 seconds quick shuttles. 10 second serves ad T. 8 of 10 to advance.
• Set 4: 20 seconds medicine ball slams or shadow slams. 10 second serves ad body slider. 8 of 10 to finish.

Progressions:

• Add a live returner who tries to block back deep middle. Your job is to hit the scripted plus one to target after the serve. Now your 10 reps per set include a completed serve plus one.
• For advanced juniors, set a heart rate target with a wearable. Begin each set at 80 to 85 percent of max so the toss and contact are trained under stress.

Target maps you can copy to your court

Create a simple tape grid inside each service box.

• Body box: a 3 by 3 foot square around the center line intersection. Hitting this square jams returns and protects your plus one.
• Wide kick arc: a curved tape from two feet inside the sideline to the corner. The goal is a bounce that rises above the returner’s hip.
• T lane: a narrow lane one foot either side of the T. First serve accuracy here sets up early forehand starts on ad points.

Scoring games with the map:

• Ten ball challenge. Score 2 points for a body box hit, 1 for the wide arc, 1 for the T lane. Subtract 1 for a miss long or into the wrong half. Beat your best with a teammate watching.
• Pressure close. You need 12 points to win the ladder. You have 15 serves. If you miss two in a row, run a 10 second court sprint, then continue. This adds the fatigue element of a long game.

Manipulating the return position on both sides of the net

Servers: how to move the returner

• Use a high second serve to push the returner deeper. Then serve body next point to catch them leaning back.
• Show the same toss for body and wide serves so your disguise stays intact.
• If a returner inches inside the baseline, pick the body or forehand corner with a flatter second serve to remove their swing time.

Returners: how to disrupt the server

• Step back a full stride on second serve for a few points. Float deep middle returns that land near the baseline to steal the server’s plus one angle.
• On 30 all, step forward half a step against a kick serve. Take on the rise to cut off time and break the server’s rhythm.
• Show a fake move during the server’s bounce count. Set up in a neutral spot, then shift late. The goal is to make the server doubt their target map without crossing into gamesmanship.

Drill for both roles

• Call and counter. Server declares body or wide and the plus one target. Returner declares forward or back starting position. Play the point live. Track whether the server hit the declared target and whether the returner’s position forced an adjustment.

A 60-minute session that builds pressure-proof holds

• 10 minutes: warm-up serves into target maps. Alternate first and second serves. End with five serves to each map square.
• 12 minutes: heartbeat-elevated second serve ladders with plus one scripting.
• 12 minutes: pattern rounds. Two patterns only. 12 points each. Record hold rates.
• 12 minutes: score-specific clusters. 30 all set, ad in set, ad out set. Keep second serve percentages and plus one conversion.
• 10 minutes: call and counter drill to manipulate return positions.
• 4 minutes: cool down with five deliberate between-point routines. Walk through the 5R checklist out loud.

What to record every session

• Hold percentage in pattern rounds.
• Second serve make percentage at 30 all and ad points.
• First ball location after second serve. Was it to your planned target.
• Routine cadence consistency. Did you follow the same steps every time.

Mindset tools that travel from practice to match day

• One objective per service game. Choose it on the towel. For example, body bias this game or early forehand on plus one. Keep the objective small and observable.
• Non-negotiable second serve intent. Your second serve is your identity. You do not guide it in. You hit the window you trained.
• Neutral self talk between points. Replace adjectives with verbs. Up and over. Drive through. Step into.

For coaches and parents

• Scorebook the serve. Assign a parent or assistant to track only two things during matches. Second serve percentage at 30 all and ad. Serve plus one success on those points. Build your next week of practice around the gaps.
• Structure before style. If a junior wants variety on first serves, anchor it in a ratio. Forty percent body, thirty five percent backhand corner, twenty five percent forehand corner until the data says change.
• Reward process under pressure. Praise the kid who hits the trained second serve window at ad out, even if the return comes back and they lose the point. That courage compounds into future holds.

How OffCourt turns this blueprint into habits

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 app builds heartbeat-elevated ladders that match your current fitness, scripts serve plus one scenarios based on your match charting, and installs a between-point routine you can rehearse in short daily reps. You will feel it most on the third deuce of a long game. Your breath stays steady, your target does not shrink, and your plus one is already decided.

Put it into play this week

• Tape your target maps today.
• Run two 12-point pattern rounds tomorrow.
• Play a 20-minute heartbeat-elevated ladder on Friday and record your numbers.
• Chart your next match with just two metrics: second serve percentage and plus one success at 30 all and ad.

Hold more games. Shorten your stress. If you want a ready-made plan, start a free block inside OffCourt and load the Pressure-proof Serving template. Then send this article to your doubles partner so both sides of the net get smarter.