Why this works in Melbourne in 2026
On the medium paced hard courts of Melbourne Park, heavy pace alone does not win. What wins is pressure that arrives early and arrives again, the way a good press in soccer compresses passing lanes until mistakes appear. Jannik Sinner has refined a version of this for hard courts. Call it the Serve Return Squeeze. He uses a disguised, well placed first serve to control the first two balls, then steps in on second serve returns to steal neutral away from opponents. The effect is cumulative. Opponents feel like they are always defending, even when they start the point. For broader context on periodizing for Melbourne, see our three week Melbourne prep.
If you coach juniors or compete yourself, the best part is that the blueprint is copyable. You will not hit 125 miles per hour on command, but you can learn how Sinner chooses spots, when he fires the first strike forehand, and where he stands to return. The patterns are simple. The discipline to repeat them is the trick. For more on his seasonal approach, check our Sinner three peat plan.
A quick framing to prove this is more than style points. In 2025 Sinner produced a rare statistical combination, leading the men’s tour in both service games held and return games won, the sort of double that usually belongs to generational number ones. Those numbers were not an accident. They were the product of serve location, first ball intent, and an assertive return stance, the same ingredients he has brought into Melbourne this January. See the tour’s breakdown of his 2025 season: statistical double in 2025.
The blueprint in three parts
- Sharpened serve patterns with real disguise and simple, repeatable targets.
- First strike forehand that starts crosscourt more often than down the line, then shifts lanes.
- Aggressive return positioning, especially on second serves, to put the ball on the baseline within the first two shots.
Each element by itself is useful. Together they create a loop. Your serve starts the squeeze. Your return keeps it on. Your forehand seals the game before pressure swings back to you.
Serve patterns decoded
Think of the service box as a tic tac toe grid. Top row is wide, middle is body, bottom is T. Sinner does not chase aces. He chases predictable first strikes.
Deuce court
- Wide slice to pull a right hander off the court. The goal is not an ace, it is a forehand into open space as the +1 ball.
- T serve that stays low. This stops the returner from camping wide and makes the next wide serve more effective.
- Body serve that jams the backhand when opponents shade for the T.
Ad court
- Body serve that pins the two hander on the hip, then a forehand cross to the open deuce side.
- Wide slice to drag the returner into the doubles alley, then either a forehand to the open ad corner or a change to the deuce corner if the opponent over chases.
- Occasional T serve to win a free point when the returner creeps wide.
Two principles: First, disguise. Sinner’s ball toss lives in a narrow corridor so he can hit wide, body, or T from the same look. Second, pairings. He sequences locations in twos, often going back to the same spot after showing the opposite option, which catches returners who try to hedge. If the opponent moves early, he hits into the movement, not away from it.
When the server keeps hold rates in the low 90s and wins close to 80 percent behind the first ball, it is usually because of patterns like these, not just velocity. That is the point of the squeeze. The returner starts every game guessing, and guessing becomes tiring.
First strike forehand, explained simply
The first strike forehand is the second half of the serve pattern. Picture three lanes off your serve.
- Lane A: You served wide from the deuce side. The court opens to your forehand crosscourt. Hit heavy cross to the ad corner, then step forward. If the ball comes back short, finish into the deuce side with inside in.
- Lane B: You served T from the deuce side. You probably get a central ball. Drive it deep to the backhand with margin, then look to change direction on the following ball.
- Lane C: You served body from the ad side. The jammed return tends to float or sit. Take it early, heavy cross into the deuce corner, then hunt a forehand three feet inside the baseline.
Mechanically, Sinner creates space with a small hop into the court after contact, loads the outside leg, and releases the forehand with clearance over the net tape.
Coaching cue: Start cross, change later. You do not need a line painting forehand to control points. You need the first ball above net height and deep enough to move the chess pieces. If you change direction, do it when you are balanced and inside the court.
Return posture that steals time
On second serves Sinner stands on or a half step inside the baseline. The objective is not a winner, it is a deep, early contact that denies the server time. The two highest percentage targets are deep middle, which takes away angles, and deep to the backhand. If the second serve sits up, he accelerates through contact with a compact swing and uses his legs to keep the ball from sailing.
On first serves he mixes two looks. If the server is predictable, he trusts a firm block from just behind the baseline, aiming deep middle. Against bigger or more varied first serves he gives ground a step and returns heavy cross to buy back neutral. Either way, the key is a unified intention. There is no half measure stutter step. He commits to the height, target, and footwork before the toss leaves the server’s hand.
The result is pressure both ends of the game. It shows up in the numbers that matter, such as service games held and second serve return points won. Australian Open analysts this year have framed the same story another way, noting that Sinner regularly wins more than half of second serve return points and closes out more than nine in ten of his service games, a profile built for Melbourne’s bounce and speed. See the tournament’s write up on that profile: wins 92 percent of service games.
Translate it to your court: six simple drills
You can install the Serve Return Squeeze in two weeks if you practice with intention. Bring cones or tape, one bucket of balls, and a friend.
1) Serve three lane ladder
- Place three cones on each service box: wide, body, T. Work deuce first, then ad.
- Objective: 12 of 15 first serves landing in targets with at least medium pace. After each hit, say the pairing out loud, for example, “wide then T.”
- Scoring: +1 for a target hit, +2 if the returner’s contact is outside the singles sideline or inside the baseline. After 15 balls switch sides.
- Progression: If you score 14 or more, shrink the target to a shoe box rectangle near the lines. If you score under 10, widen the target but maintain the pairing call.
Why it works: You train for disguise and intention. Saying the pair forces you to plan serves as sequences, just like Sinner.
2) Serve plus one pattern builder
- Feed or serve, then coach tosses a neutral ball if the return is missed. Your first forehand must clear the net by at least two racket heads and land past the service line.
- Targets: start crosscourt, then inside in to finish. Ten reps each lane.
- Constraint: if you change direction on the first forehand and miss, minus two. This rewards the patient crosscourt start.
Why it works: You script the +1 ball. It becomes automatic to start cross and win the rally with better geometry rather than hero shots.
3) Second serve return takeoff
- Draw three footprints with chalk on or just inside the baseline at the ad and deuce sides. That is your launch pad.
- Your partner hits second serves with variety. You step in on the toss, split, then punch the return deep middle or backhand.
- Scoring: +1 for a return that lands with both feet of bounce past the service line. +2 if your contact point is taken on the rise.
- Progression: Add a third ball where you must recover and hit heavy cross after your deep middle return.
Why it works: The step in becomes a habit, not a guess. Deep middle reduces angles and buys you the next forehand.
4) First serve survival block
- Stand a step behind the baseline. Partner hits first serves at 60 to 80 percent. Your only goal is a firm block deep middle.
- Constraint: racket face quiet, minimal backswing, eyes level through contact.
- Scoring: play to 20. +1 for each deep middle, minus 1 for a short or framed return. Reset if you float more than two in a row.
Why it works: You learn a trusty default under pace. Deep middle keeps you alive and frustrates big servers who wanted a short ball.
5) Toss corridor and disguise audit
- Place two pieces of athletic tape on the ground at your front foot and a string above your head as a visual line. Your toss should land within a narrow corridor relative to your stance for wide, body, and T.
- Record 20 serves each spot with a phone from behind. Did your toss live in the same window on all three? If not, your opponent will read you like a billboard.
- Progression: Keep the corridor tight, then gradually allow a bit of drift to add variety once you own the base pattern.
Why it works: Disguise is a multiplier. Even five miles per hour slower will win if the returner cannot pick the spot.
6) Footwork and first step load
- Set two agility dots just inside the baseline. After every serve or return, land on the outside dot, load, and push into the next ball.
- Add a medicine ball throw variation twice a week. Stand in forehand stance, load the outside leg, rotate, and chest pass the ball toward your crosscourt target. Eight throws each side, two sets.
Why it works: The squeeze depends on your first step, not your last swing. Strong outside leg loading turns early contact into depth without overswinging.
Match plans you can use this weekend
Every plan fits on a note card in your bag. Use them as prompts, not scripts.
Against a big server
- Serve: deuce side open with two wides out of three. Show one early T each game to stop them from camping.
- +1 forehand: heavy cross then inside in if short. No early line changes.
- Return: second serves from on the line, aim deep middle to force a half volley. First serves, one step back, block deep middle.
- Scoreboard: invest at 15 all and 30 all on their serve. If you miss by inches, stay with the plan.
Against a counterpuncher who loves rallies
- Serve: more body serves to steal their timing. The goal is a neutral ball on your strings.
- +1 forehand: drive deep middle, then move them to the corners after you are inside the court.
- Return: stand in, take height off the ball, then attack the first short one. Make them pass from the run.
Against a left hander
- Serve: deuce side T becomes your change up, ad side wide becomes the bread and butter. Pair body serves in the ad court with an immediate inside out forehand.
- Return: from the ad side do not chase the slice wide unless you are fully set. Aim deep middle to take away their favorite angle.
Against a net rusher
- Serve: mix T and body to make the first volley awkward. Heavy through the middle on the +1 ball.
- Return: on second serves, take the ball early at the seams of the strings and send it low to the backhand hip. Make them volley up.
Against a grinder who pushes second serves
- Serve: keep your first serve percentage high, no freebies. Pattern for depth before pace.
- Return: stand inside, treat the second serve like a mid rally ball, and drive it deep to the backhand. If they start to chip short, step in and take it earlier.
What to track, like a pro
Numbers keep emotion honest. Use these three simple metrics.
- First serve targets hit: 12 of 20 into the called cone is a good starting goal.
- Second serve return depth: at least 7 of 10 landing past the service line.
- +1 forehand error rate: no more than 3 unforced per set on balls above net height.
If you coach, give your player one challenge per set that ties to a metric. For example, earn two deep middle returns in the next service game you face. Small, measurable goals are a calmer way to compete. To build a weekly review habit, see how to turn match data to training.
Off court work that unlocks the squeeze
Off court training is the most underused lever in tennis. Add two quick routines to support the blueprint.
- Anti rotation core and landing stability: two days per week. Pallof press holds, single leg landings to stick the outside foot after serve or return, and side plank reaches. Ten minutes total.
- Visual routines: once per week. Film ten serves of each target and five return reps of each stance. Review toss corridor, first step, and ball height over the net, then write one cue per phase, for example, “start cross” or “deep middle.”
The bigger lesson for coaches and parents
Help players commit to simple plans they can execute under stress. In Melbourne, Sinner’s version is not about hitting harder. It is about owning the first two shots with clear intentions, then showing the same picture again and again until the opponent blinks. Juniors can learn the same habits with cones, tape, and a phone camera. The payoff is faster points on your serve, worse looks for the opponent on theirs, and less emotional noise between rallies.
Final word and next steps
The Serve Return Squeeze is not a magic trick. It is a set of choices you repeat until the other side runs out of good answers. Start with the three lane serve ladder, add the second serve return takeoff, and script your first strike forehand to start cross. Track your three metrics for two weeks and compare. When you are ready to scale it, bring a coach and build a weekly plan. Melbourne rewards the player who takes space early and refuses to give it back. That can be you in your next match.