Here's why Alcaraz & Sinner are second-serve standouts

Second serves are barely an asset.

The ATP Tour average is 51 per cent points won behind second serves. It’s only when you reach the rarified air at the top of the PIF ATP Rankings that you see the needle move in this all-important match metric.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of World No. 1, Jannik Sinner, and World No. 3, Carlos Alcaraz, identifies how they are able to create enough separation from their opponents to make a real difference behind their second serves. The data set is comprised of a minimum of 80 matches for each player over the past three seasons.

Second Serve Points Won
• Sinner = 54%
• Alcaraz = 55%

Sinner and Alcaraz only move three and four percentage points north of the tour average of 51%, but it’s enough to make a substantial difference to their careers. What’s fascinating is that Sinner and Alcaraz go about improving their average second-serve points won in different ways.

Deuce Court Second Serve Direction

Sinner
• Wide = 19%
• Body = 44%
• T = 37%

Sinner’s primary target is the body location, at 44 per cent. The majority of those serves go to the body-backhand slot, but a sizable total also test the returner’s body-forehand jam location as well.

Alcaraz
• Wide = 14%
• Body = 27%
• T = 59%

Alcaraz employs a vastly different strategy by taking almost six out of every 10 second serves right down the T to the right-hander’s backhand return, making them move sideways to the ball. On the other hand, Sinner’s second serve at the body is attempting to make the returner move away from the incoming serve directly at their body.

Ad Court Second Serve Direction

Sinner
• Wide = 19%
• Body = 63%
• T = 18%

Just like the Deuce court, Sinner prefers to go right at the body, with almost two out of three (63%) struck there. The big advantage of this location is that Sinner does not have to worry about the singles line or centre line on the sides of the service box.

Alcaraz
• Wide = 49%
• Body = 38%
• T = 13%

Alcaraz hits more than double (49% to 19%) the amount of second serves out wide in the Ad court compared to Sinner. The Spaniard prefers to hit a heavy kick that pulls his opponent outside the singles court. Alcaraz’s key locations in the Deuce and Ad court are all about getting the ball up high to the backhand return, while Sinner wants to immediately jam up his opponent and extract a weak return.

Unreturned Second Serves

In the Deuce court, both players have the most unreturned serves from their surprise second serves out wide to the right-hander’s forehand return. Alcaraz has 26 per cent unreturned from this specific spot, while Sinner was at 24 per cent.

That dynamic also played out in the Ad court, with both players forcing more return errors with the secondary serve down the T to the forehand. Alcaraz had a very healthy 29 per cent unreturned from the T in the Ad court, while Sinner was at 21 per cent.

Second Serve Win Percentages

Alcaraz won a head-turning 66 per cent second serves out wide in the Deuce court to lead all locations, while Sinner topped out at 62 per cent with his wide serve in the Ad court. At all six locations across the Deuce and Ad court service boxes, Sinner and Alcaraz were above the 50 per cent points won threshold.

Sinner and Alcaraz excel behind their second serves. It’s compelling to see the different serve locations they have mastered in their ascent to the pinnacle of our sport.