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Tuesday, 07 July 2026 / Published in Alexander Zverev, Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Wimbledon

2026 Wimbledon: Players hold 91% doing just this ONE thing.

G’day from Wimbledon,

Imagine doing just one thing that bolsters your chance of holding serve all the way to 91%. That’s exactly what is happening in the men’s draw at Wimbledon this year. What’s the one thing that has this much influence in the game? The very first point of the service game. Let’s dig into the data…

MEN: 2026 Wimbledon Holding Serve

Service Games Won = 82%
Holding Serve From 15-0 = 91%

Winning 9 out of 10 points on any court surface is extremely dominant. As a point of comparison, winning a set 6-0 means you are winning right around 70% of points. Ignacio Buse defeated Emilio Nava 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in their first-round match at Wimbledon. In the fourth set, which Buse won 6-0, he won 72% (28/39) of points. Winning a set 6-0 is as dominant as you can get, and it only takes winning 7 out of 10 points.

That gives you some perspective on just how dominant it is to hold serve 91% of the time.

Players would be wise to have a set game plan for the first point of the game. Here are a few ideas…

SHOT 1 = 1st Serve Out Wide

When a right-hander hits a slice serve out wide in the Deuce court, it’s the slice and direction that hurt the opponent the most – not the speed of the shot. Pulling the returner off the court also opens a hole to the other side of the court (Ad court) for an immediate attack. And if the returner is sprinting back into the court after being pulled wide, then let them run and play behind them.

SHOT 3 = Serve +1 Forehand

After making a first serve out wide, the return will most likely come down the middle of the court. Don’t accept this as a backhand. Look to hit a run-around forehand as much as possible. The three big advantages of the run-around forehand are as follows…

UPGRADE – Hitting a more powerful forehand (the sword) is far superior to hitting a backhand (the shield). About 70% of baseline winners are struck with the forehand.
DOUBLE – You can now effectively attack out wide to the Deuce and Ad courts, doubling the target areas you can hurt your opponent.
FREEZE – Because of the natural, semi-open stance, the returner has to wait until the ball comes off the strings to know where it is headed. This is all about taking away the returner’s anticipation and making them a little late to the next shot. We play a game of taking away time.

SHOT 5 = Finish With A Volley

You have hit a nice slider out wide to pull the returner off the court. You have followed it up with a Serve +1 forehand and hit it to the other side of the court – wide in the Ad court. The opponent is on the run and has to hit a defensive backhand to stay in the point. Now is the time to finish; follow the forehand to the net and knock off a volley winner to end the point. Watch the returner’s movement to see if you play behind them (they are running fast), or go to the open court (they can’t chase the ball down).

After removing as much risk as possible, you dominate the opening point and lead 15-0. Your chance of holding serve has not skyrocketed to 91%. What comes next? Why not serve and volley out wide to the backhand return in the Ad court, then take the first volley back behind the returner for a winner. Or if they chase it down, they will almost always lob. Enjoy the overhead!

WIMBLEDON WOMEN’S DRAW

Going 15-0 on serve also considerably helps the women hold serve here at SW19.

WOMEN: 2026 Wimbledon Holding Serve

Service Games Won = 70%
Holding Serve From 15-0 = 82%

The win percentage rises by 12 percentage points, from 70% to 82%, when the women surge to a 15-0 lead. Even though it’s not as high as 91% for men, it’s tougher for women to hold serve, so this bump really helps secure a hold.

SUMMARY

We play a sport of momentum. Winning begets winning. The more you can get ahead, the more scoreboard pressure you can apply to your opponent. Don’t play the love-all point recklessly. Don’t overhit the first serve and unnecessarily put yourself in a second-serve hole.

Maybe the first several times you can slice the first serve wide at 0-0, and if you feel the opponent is starting to read your pattern, then look to switch with a first serve at the body or down the T to surprise.

Below is a list of men in the quarter-finals who have held serve from 15-0 in the tournament.

MEN: Still Alive In The Tournament

F. Auger-Aliassime = 100% (48/48)
N. Djokovic = 100% (49/49)
A. Zverev = 98% (47/48)
T. Fritz = 98% (44/45)
J. Lehecka = 97% (37/38)
J. Sinner = 96% (48/50)
J.L. Struff = 92% (54/59)
A. Fery = 90% (56/62)
F. Cobolli = 89% (48/54)
TOTAL = 95% (431/453)

WOW! The players still left in the tournament are holding serve 95% of the time after surging to a 15-0 advantage. Once they gain extra control of their service games by winning the first point, they don’t easily give up their increased advantage.

WOMEN: Still Alive In The Tournament

K. Muchova = 97% (36/37)
C. Gauff = 97% (29/30)
Naomi Osaka = 96% (26/27)
E. Mertens = 93% (14/15)
M/ Kostyuk = 90% (26/29)
L. Noskova = 89% (32/36)
J. Paolini = 85% (22/26)
J. Pegula = 80% (20/25)
TOTAL = 91% (205/225)

These eight women are averaging 91% of the time, which is exactly the men’s tournament average.

One point can make a huge difference in our sport and creates a positive ripple effect for the rest of your game.

The practice court is clearly broken. Here’s the proof.

Points are "front loaded". By far the majority of the action, and the winning, takes place in THE FIRST 4 SHOTS. The practice court is full of long rallies. Matches are dominated by short rallies. There is a massive disconnect occurring.

We spend too much time grinding, banging balls up and down the middle of the court – that have no real benefit to winning tennis matches.

There are 3 specific rally lengths in tennis. Here is their percentage breakdown of total points.

0-4 Shots = 70%
5-8 Shots = 20%
9+ Shots = 10%

The First 4 Shots is specifically the serve, return, Serve +1 groundstroke and Return +1 groundstroke. Those are normally the shots that get practiced the least, but matter the most to winning tennis matches.

The net is an extremely high percentage place to be!

If you love playing tennis for fun, spend as much time at the baseline as you like. But if you compete – if the score matters – then you must turn your attention to the net to maximize your potential.

The “herd mentality” in tennis thinks it’s too tough to approach the net in today’s game. The conversation starts with improved string technology, more powerful rackets, and finishes with stronger, faster athletes. The herd think approaching is a relic of the past. The herd is WRONG!

AVERAGE WIN %
Baseline = 46%
Net = 66%

Data from ALL Grand Slams provides the facts about approach and volley, and the data is crystal clear – it’s immensely better than staying back at the baseline, grinding for a living.

The baseline is a tough place to create separation. Here's how to do it.

At the 2012 US Open, only 7 men and 14 women had a winning percentage from the baseline. At Wimbledon 2016, Andy Murray won the title only winning 52% of his baseline points - and he is one of the very best at it in the world!

Num3ers deeply explores the data that rules points, especially from the back of the court. Take a "deep dive" into all three rally lengths (0-4, 5-8, 9+), and winner and errors totals from the elite level of our game. The numbers will shock you!

All 4 Grand Slams

Forcing Errors = 41% Men / 37% Women
Winners = 32% Men / 29% Women
Unforced Errors = 27% Men / 34% Women

Num3ers is very much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. It's about bringing together different data sets together to create the big picture.

Every recorded match from the 2015 Australian Open - Rd2 to the final.

There is a lot happening on a doubles court. Situations and strategies are constantly being adjusted to create mis-matches with court position. It's hard to keep track of - until now. Dou8les Num3ers is the most comprehensive analysis of doubles data in our sport. The focus is on how a point ends, and it's broken down eight ways to Sunday. Specifically, you find critical information on:

Winners rise to the #1 way a point ends (over forced & unforced errors)

- The last shot of the rally is overwhelmingly struck at the net.
- Center Window: the most important part of a doubles court to control.
- Stephen Huss: an in-depth interview on Wimbledon's Centre Court with the 2005 Wimbledon Doubles Champion.

Dou8les Num3ers leaves no stone unturned. Percentage breakdowns of how often the server or receiver hits the last shot highlight the dramatic influence of the serve. The last shot of the rally is significant, and is broken down into the following categories: volleys, overheads, passing shots, lobs and groundstrokes.

When you play a match, you actually play two matches.

When you walk out onto a tennis court, there are two matches that you are about to play. The first is during the point - a part of the match that you have spent a lot of time preparing for on the practice court. But there is a second match, that takes place in the 20 seconds between the points. This is where the mental and emotional aspects of our sport kick in.

Let's face it, there will be adversity in almost every tennis match that you play. The storm clouds are coming. How bug they are, and how long they last for, are up to you.

Between the points is very tennis specific. It provides a roadmap for the 20 seconds between the points, teaching how to handle the adversity that will surely come, and how to build on the successes that will also be present. Your mind is your biggest asset in a match, and Between the Points takes your hand off the self destruct button and stops you beating yourself.

You don't have to be good at everything, but you have got to be good at something.

You can break tennis down into four key elements - serving, returning, rallying and approaching. Each part has specific patterns of play that consistently deliver higher winning percentages than the others. No more guessing. No more opinions. All facets of our sport are covered in this exceptional product, clearly outlining what patterns to gravitate to, and how to best construct the practice court. Data comes primarily from the 2015 Australian Open.

Building Blocks

MEN = 70% errors / 30% winners
WOMEN = 74% errors / 26% winners

Forcing errors is the best way to construct a point.
You can simply break tennis down into primary and secondary patterns of play - and they are all covered here. Primary patterns include serve and return direction, forehands v backhands, and the best way to approach the net. Secondary patterns include drop shots, serve & volley and 1st volley options. If you play tournaments, this product will greatly help you simplify the singles court.

The conversation starts & ends with the Center Window.

The doubles court is like an hourglass. There are two big ends, but a small neck in the middle where all the action happens. Once you learn the power of the Center Window, where you stand to start the point will take on a lot more significance.

Doubles is a lot more about situations, with four people on the court all "dancing" with one another. Learn all the best doubles patterns, broken down for the server, returner, server's partner and the returner's partner.

Doubles Situations

The "J" - the most ideal movement for the returner's partner to attack the net.

The "V" - a better way of understanding where the server's partner should move to.

Volley Targets - there are four main areas to attack. Know which ones are higher percentage. Beach Volleyball - the idea of a "setter" and "spiker" is ideal for the doubles court.

There are certain parts of the court that the ball travels to a lot, and other low percentage areas that you really don't want to cover at all - like the alley! In general, the serving team wants to keep the ball in the middle of the court as much as possible (to help the server's partner), while the returning team benefits from hitting wider and creating more chaos in the point.