When Carlos Alcaraz steps onto the court, the drop shot has become a signature weapon in his game, leaving opponents scrambling to recover. The moment he plays it, the rhythm of the point changes, and a new challenge begins. Alcaraz is now the most effective player on the ATP Tour when it comes to executing this tricky shot. According to Tennis Viz data from the past year, he wins 60 percent of the points when he uses a drop shot—making him the tour’s top performer in this area.
As the defending champion at Roland Garros, Alcaraz’s opponents should expect to see this shot even more frequently on the clay courts of Paris. The drop shot is gaining popularity across the tour and is especially effective on clay, where the surface slows the ball and players often position themselves deep behind the baseline. With tennis balls becoming heavier in recent years, hitting winners from the baseline has become more challenging, making the drop shot an easier way to end a point.
In his most recent match, Alcaraz faced Fábián Marozsán, a Hungarian who also favors the drop shot. The match turned into a “drop-shot battle,” with Alcaraz prevailing 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 after recovering from a difficult second set. Alcaraz had anticipated the duel, acknowledging Marozsán’s knack for the shot.
“It’s gonna be a drop-shot battle,” Alcaraz said with a smile in his pre-match press conference. “I’ll be ready for that from him. I study my opponents a little bit. I know that Fábián likes to hit drop shots.”
Marozsán ranks fifth on the ATP Tour in drop shots, using the shot 3.3 percent of the time, while Alcaraz is eighth at 3.1 percent. These numbers reflect a broader trend in the sport. Since 2021, the use of drop shots has steadily increased across the tour, with players hitting the shot 1.9 percent of the time in 2025, up from 1.5 percent in 2021. On clay, this percentage is even higher, rising from 1.7 percent to 2.3 percent in the past few years.
This resurgence in the use of the drop shot is partly due to Alcaraz’s influence, but also a result of broader trends in tennis. Players like Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have incorporated the shot into their games, making it more common among top competitors. Even players like Iga Świątek, who had favored a more aggressive style in recent years, are reintroducing the drop shot to their playbooks.
At Roland Garros, the drop shot has proven to be a game-changer. Clay’s slow surface and the ball’s interaction with the court’s granules create ideal conditions for the shot. As tennis analyst Craig O’Shannessy explained, “On clay, the ball’s second bounce is often so close to the first one, and typically lower, so the ball just dies—it’s like hitting it into quicksand.”
The drop shot has become more than just a clever tactic. It’s now a strategic weapon that can define matches, especially at the French Open, where the surface and conditions make it particularly effective.
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