The Tennis Lifestyle

One thing I have learned in my Tennis experience is that Tennis and rushing don’t go together that well. You probably noticed that there is a lot of thinking involved in Tennis. The worst thing that you can possibly do, is get ready for the next point while you are still thinking.

It goes without saying that Tennis is a very technical game. You have to focus at all times and the best way to do that is to take your time in between the points. In the Tennis rules, every player has 25 seconds in between the points, 90 at changeovers and 120 after a set. Those are for the players to rest and catch their breath before the next point. Those are also the perfect time to “empty the trash” in your head.

How many times have we seen Rafael Nadal get a time violation for going over his 25 seconds? Would you say it is worth it? Have you also noticed that most of the time when it happens to Nadal, he wins the point? I wouldn’t go as far as saying go over your time limit, but it is extremely important for all tennis players to take time in between the points and collect themselves. It allows you to see how you can play even better in order to beat your opponent. As a tennis player, one of the smartest ways to play, is by keeping an eye on your opponent’s game without losing track of your own.

Another part of the lifestyle is the comfort. Whether it is at home, or on a Tennis court, you want to be comfortable. Roberta Vinci confessed it “I relax on the court and enjoy”. You can’t perform your best if you are nervous, stressed or frustrated. You need a lucid head and a loose body to play great. One way to always remind yourself to be comfortable is by emptying your head (it all comes back to that 🙂 )

It is also very important to not let your opponent be able to see your frustration. If you break a racket, the player on the other side of the court can and will see that as an opportunity to “keep your head in the water”. My coach used to tell me, “if you have fun on the court, the final result doesn’t matter much”. The best and more current example is the pair Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. They haven’t lost in 40 matches. When they are on the court, they smile, laugh and share the amazing experience together. What is that bringing them? Happiness and VICTORY. As simple as that!!

This part is basically what I have been looking forward to writing about. This has helped me and lots of people around me, in Tennis as well as in life. Victoria Azarenka says “If you still have one more point to play, no matter what the score is, you still got a chance to make a difference in your favor.”

Serena Williams keeps it general by saying “A champion isn’t about how much they win, it’s about how they recover from their downs” and I say “A Tennis match is never over, until it actually is”.

The Tennis mental is very important. That is what determines how you play, literally. If you believe you can and will win, you play much better than you would normally. You push yourself because you believe you can, you do more and better. Venus Williams says it pretty good here: “Tennis is mostly mental. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.” The worst thing you can do on a tennis court, or in life, is to give up without a fight. You have to believe that you can make a difference in your favor. The person on the other side of the net isn’t going to serve you the win on a silver plate, you have to go get it. Just like in real life, nothing is for free and you have to fight to make it to the top. Those fights are what I love about Tennis. I made a list of my ten favorite comebacks. Take a look at them and tell me what you think:

J.M.Del Potro vs R.Federer US Open 2009

L.Robson vs K.Clijsters  US Open 2012

S.Wawrinka vs N.Djokovic French Open 2015

L.Na vs V.Williams Australian Open 2010

S.Williams vs M.Sharapova Miami 2013

J.Konta vs E.Makarova Australian Open 2016

N.Djokovic vs R.Federer US Open 2011

C.Wozniacki vs V.Zvonareva Doha 2009

S.Stephens vs S.Williams Australian Open 2013

A.Murray vs F.Verdasco Wimbledon 2013

In these matches, you will see the determination on the players’ face. Believe in yourself, fight and you will see that the end result you’ll get is more than just a victory. You will dominate fear and kiss it goodbye.

This post was written by Zara Lo, Head Coach of ZaraTennis.  info@zaratennis.com