After parting ways with his coach, Alcaraz is making significant technical adjustments for the 2026 season.

Almost two weeks after splitting from his longtime coach Ferrero, Alcaraz has rediscovered a fresh pace in Murcia with Samuel Lopez leading the way. The 22-year-old world No. 1 is gearing up for the Australian Open, the sole Grand Slam title absent from his resume. Perhaps because of this, he is now focusing more on his serve — the area where he showed the most improvement in the 2025 season, honing it through innovative training sessions with Lopez.

Before the Australian Open, the world No. 1 chose to skip all warm-up tournaments to concentrate on training, frequently seen practicing intensive serving drills. In fact, improving his serve was a key focus during his 2024 off-season, with a clear goal from the start: to arrive at the Australian courts in peak condition.

One particularly notable drill involved Alcaraz practicing tossing the ball precisely into a mini basketball hoop. Beyond the exercise itself, his serving technique attracted attention — his stance and ball toss resemble those of Djokovic, sparking speculation about a possible long-term transformation in his serve.

Every serve shown in the videos repeats the same motion, clearly intentional and consistently executed. Alcaraz aims for a smooth and fluid preparation phase from the very start of his motion and plans to fully integrate this new serving mechanism into his game by 2026.

The progress he made with his serve in the 2025 season is evident, validating this approach. The core objective of these drills is to perfect the ball toss, as a stable and clean toss is fundamental to building a reliable serve; without it, consistency is hard to achieve.

During the 2025 preseason, Alcaraz and his team made a bold decision. Exactly one year ago, they completely revamped his serving motion. They understood the risks and knew it might affect his early-season results, but they firmly believed it would pay off in the medium to long term.

The new serving technique emphasizes a straighter back, a higher arm position during the backswing, and a more relaxed hand, aiming for a seamless and uninterrupted serving motion. This change directly addresses the inconsistency that plagued his serve over the past two seasons.

Early in the season, adapting to this change was challenging. During the Australian Open, Alcaraz admitted feeling uncomfortable and needing to consciously think about his new serve motion, which affected his rhythm. However, over time, he gradually found his groove and his confidence grew.

By the middle and later parts of the 2025 season, the results were clear. Even without looking at statistics, the improvement was obvious. Especially after Wimbledon, his serve became much more powerful, performing strongly in Cincinnati, the US Open, and Tokyo, and reaching the ATP Finals final for the first time.

The data also confirms this progress. Compared to 2024, he improved nearly all serve-related metrics, with a significant increase in aces and top-level break point saving ability. He now saves nearly 70% of break points faced, surpassed only by Sinner, Opelka, and Rublev. Although not traditionally a "serve machine," his numbers are approaching that level.

At the 2025 US Open, Alcaraz delivered his most impressive serving performance of the season. Throughout the tournament, his serve became a decisive weapon, overwhelming opponents with speed and precision, making his service games nearly unbreakable.

During the US Open, his first-serve points won percentage was nearly 9 percentage points above his season average, and his overall serving points won rose by 8 percentage points. Additionally, he averaged close to 7 aces per match, showing clear and steady improvement. The goal of his new serve in 2025 was explicit: to produce more aces and generate more direct points. This strategy significantly enhanced his first-serve effectiveness and helped him seize control early in rallies.

His performance on crucial points also improved markedly. Alcaraz demonstrated stronger mental resilience under pressure, showing more stability in saving break points and trusting his serve when it mattered most. This dual technical and psychological growth marks an important step forward.

Overall, the decision to adjust his serving mechanics in 2025 proved wise, with clear gains throughout the season. The 2026 Australian Open will be the true test — the only Grand Slam title yet to be claimed in Alcaraz’s career.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)