The tennis players spend a lot of time to improve own skills. The daily practice sessions allow them to develop their game and to have more tools that will be necessary during the competition. It is of utmost importance to understand what are the key elements that decide about the chance to win against any type of opponent.
The training environment is the place where players should focus on preparation before the next tournament. Knowing own strengths and weaknesses is crucial to set a plan and chase the goals that will lead to the improvement of the overall athletic performance. Successful tennis players use every opportunity to score even the smallest improvement because they understand that it is not possible to play their own best every day but it is necessary to improve every time players perform any activity.
There are many players who train well but they are not able to transfer their own training skills into a competitive environment. It can be really frustrating for ambitious athletes who give their best effort in the weeks before the tournament when they are not even close to their regular level as soon as the opponent stands on the other side of the net (read here about the existing myths about the stress). If it happens, it is time to think about their own preparation and whether players really possess the skills that help them compete effectively.
Winning has many benefits but focusing on winning is not the best way to perform at own best. To be able to reduce the stress and deal with many difficult situations in the match, players have to know what they can control and they should keep these factors in mind, both when they are leading and when they are losing:
Fighting
Tennis rivalry is the fight between 2 players. Over the course of the match, there are many changes in the score and the momentum of the match. Sometimes one play has the advantage but this situation can change just in a few minutes. Without a fighting spirit, it is impossible to effectively react to these changes and to maintain the highest possible quality of own actions. It is important for players to understand that fighting is necessary especially when something doesn’t go as expected and that as soon as they give up mentally, they give a huge advantage to their rival to beat them.
Expecting effectiveness
Most of the players expect their best performance during the tournament. They think that because they train and play well from Monday to Friday, it will be easy to play exactly at the same level under the pressure of competition. Unfortunately, this scenario rarely happens and in most of the matches, players will have to struggle with different factors and deal with many adversities. To successfully compete, players have to adjust their mindset. They can’t expect perfect performance – they should rather look for effective performance which includes good and bad shots. Knowing that you always treat every point individually, players can accept the result of the last action and focus on the next to keep in mind effectiveness is the highest priority to chase.
Playing with courage
Tennis players should take responsibility for their own careers and part of this process is trying to play on their own terms. During the competition, both players have to deal with the pressure related to their own performance, expectations, emotions, and results but these factors shouldn’t make players change their own mindset and stop being the best version of themselves. To become a champion, players need the courage to do the necessary things. A lot of competitors want to win without taking the risk but to get to the top, you have to be also ready to fall down. Every time you have some doubts in your head, remember what’s the real goal of your actions and what habits you want to develop during the tough times.
To compete effectively, it is not enough just to train well. During the training period, players develop tools that they will have with them every time they compete. It is important to keep in mind this especially when things get tough to make sure that the daily work is not wasted because of some pressure and few good shots from the opponent.
Marcin Bieniek is a professional tennis coach. You can contact Marcin through his personal coaching website http://marcinbieniek.info. Marcin has been working with USTA, top 50 ITF and WTA/ATP players. Author of tennis book “Tenisowy Olimp” and frequent contributor to TennisPro and TenisKlub magazines. He was a speaker at International Coaching Tennis Symposium 2016 and 2021 at Hilton Head Island, USA.