This week marks the end of a string of training posts sparked by the Netflix docuseries Carlos Alcaraz: My Way. Today’s topic marks the last training exercise that appears on the show. It feels fitting to close on a sequence that neatly encapsulates the themes that have emerged throughout this series. This final installment showcases core strength, joint stability, and the relentless intensity that distinguishes one of the best performers in tennis from everybody else.
The clip starts with an adductor side plank lower leg lift performed from an elevated position. In a way, that move is a walk down memory lane because it was Jessica Pegula performing this same exercise during another Netflix show Break Point, that inspired this lengthy series of posts highlighting how professional tennis players train as depicted in Netflix documentaries.
While Pegula executed the movement solo by bracing her leg on a chair, Alcaraz is shown working with a training partner who holds his elevated leg steady. That difference matters. With a partner providing a much more secure anchor, Alcaraz can add additional layers of movement that would arguably be unsafe using a chair. As a point of calibration, I don’t do elevated side planks myself, both out of safety concerns and also because I lack the core strength to perform them. Instead, I perform the significantly less ambitious side planks and hip lifts with both feet firmly anchored on the ground. It’s a safer and more accessible option that still delivers plenty of benefits.
Immediately following the elevated adductor leg lift, Alcaraz flows directly into hip lifts. Because his leg was already supported, he began from the elevated position, lowering his hip before driving back upward. This strengthens the obliques, glutes, and stabilizing muscles that fuel explosive lateral movement and balance recovery after wide shots.
The final layer of the sequence consists of a set of torso rotations to enhance hip and spine mobility. Still anchored by his training partner, Alcaraz twists through his midsection, rotating the rib cage over the pelvis. This dynamic stretch builds mobility in the hips and spine, which is essential for generating torque on forehands, backhands, and serves. It also promotes resilience against overuse injuries.
Each element performed in this sequence feeds directly into the physical demands of tennis. Alcaraz’s on-court athleticism is dazzling, but it doesn’t come from nowhere. His training routine builds the foundation that allows him to sprint, slide, twist, and recover with ease and fluidity.
The overarching theme, as I close out this series, is how joint and core mobility constitute a significant factor in Alcaraz’s training. Watching him on court, it is hardly surprising. While none of us will probably ever play quite like Carlos Alcaraz, we can take a page from his playbook. By training with the same focus on mobility and stability, we might edge closer to our own personal peak performance.
