Alcaraz Revives Serve-and-Volley En Route to Wimbledon Final

Carlos Alcaraz showcased a blend of power and finesse, including a resurgent serve-and-volley game, to secure his place in the Wimbledon final against Jannik Sinner. He defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Serve-and-Volley Resurgence

The serve-and-volley, once a Wimbledon staple, has become a rarity. However, Alcaraz has been using it to great effect. He won 16 of 20 serve-and-volley points against Fritz.

“I am just serving really good and I am just feeling really comfortable doing serve-and-volley,” Alcaraz said. “It’s something that I am just doing a lot. I think on grass it is a surface that we can do it more often. I’m just really feeling comfortable doing it.”

Evolution of Grass Court Tennis

The serve-and-volley tactic was highly successful on grass, due to the low bounce. Wimbledon made changes to the grass in 2002, resulting in a slower ball. Racket and string technology also improved, making it easier to return serves.

In 1997, serve-and-volley was used in 60% of points in men’s singles. By 2008, it had dropped to 10%. In 2025, it’s only 4%. Interestingly, while overall usage is down, the success rate remains high. A recent study shows that serve-and-volley, when executed well, yields a point win rate of approximately 70% across professional matches (TennisInsight.com).

Alcaraz’s Effective Strategy

Alcaraz has served and volleyed 11% of the time heading into the final, with a 79% success rate. In the quarterfinals, he won 18 of 20 net approaches after serving and nearly as many against Fritz.

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic served and volleyed 64 times, winning 45 of them (70%). He used the strategy most in his semifinal defeat by Sinner, winning 15 of 23.

Grigor Dimitrov, who withdrew injured against Sinner, won 36 of 48 serve-and-volley points (75%). Ben Shelton attempted it 37 times, winning 26 (70%).

Doing it in front of those who taught you how 🥹

Ben Shelton is enjoying a fantastic grass court season – and he credits his father, former professional Bryan, as his inspiration for playing on the surface ♥️#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/w0DX0VZtuO

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2025

“He kind of inspires the way that I’m playing on grass, the way that I’m moving forward, how I’m cutting off angles, wanting to mix in the serve-and-volley vintage style of tennis every once in a while,” Shelton said about his father after his fourth-round win.

Expert Opinions

Former world No. 1 Pat Rafter believes serve-and-volley can be a weapon on grass when used smartly. Jordan Thompson served and volleyed more than anyone at this year’s event (31%).

“The grass is still slow, but it’s grass, so not letting the ball bounce, taking it out of the air, it’s going to pose a problem for any guy,” Thompson told reporters. “It creates so many problems. [A lot of players] wouldn’t have seen that before.”

“Personally, I like seeing the serve-and-volley style. I like seeing slices come in. I like watching Dan Evans play. I think that’s proper tennis, and that’s the way I want to play,” said Thompson.

“It’s good on grass. I wouldn’t say it’s great on clay or the slow hard courts that we’ve got now. But certainly, coming forward on your terms is still going to be a positive if you can volley.”