Life is no easy ride, especially when you are striving to become the best tennis player you can be. You have to be prepared to endure the reality of sport and overcome any obstacles that are thrown your way. It all comes down to “survival of the fittest,” as Charles Darwin once discovered. Tennis players must train hard and consistently on a variety of skills to reach their full potential withstand the pressures of the sport.
Work Ethic
The definition of “talent” in sports is a topic of continual debate. Many believe it
Gives an advantage over those who must work harder and progress more slowly in the game. However, the reality is that you cannot rely on talent without the ethics of hard work. This applies to all athletes. Practise is based on a minimum amount of talent so that effort truly yields results.
Sacrifice
It takes a lot of dedication to be a pro tennis player, so you have to be prepared to give up some factors for it.
You are what you eat…
Having a healthy nutritional diet is very crucial, as it will allow your body to obtain more energy, feel mentally and physically refreshed, and allow your muscles to get stronger more quickly. With this being said, old habits like eating unhealthy snacks and drinks must be avoided so it does not offset any of these.
Tennis takes a lot of your time from normal life. You may not be able to see or hang out with your friends as much or participate in events that may upset your training routine. A silly decision can affect your performance both mentally and physically for the following two days. Make sure you think about the consequences before making any irrational decisions.
Patience
Patience is a virtue… To be able to train your mind and stay calm during the peer-pressured moments will ultimately allow you to execute decisions of higher quality both on and off the court. Tennis on tour involves external stressors that cannot be controlled, like weather conditions, followed-by match times and media.
Weather can be unpredictable at times and unforced errors may occur more than usual. If you are patient enough, you will think more clearly and adapt to the conditions better, allowing you to make fewer errors and a less rushed feeling when executing your shots.
Tennis matches can last anywhere from one to four hours, so a good player needs to have a patient approach to this. The start time may fall within a range of several hours if you are the third match at a major. You can make plans for one occasion, watch the previous match drag on for an extra set, eat something, and then discover a the previous match has abruptly finished due to retirement and you have to be on court in 10 minutes. Or perhaps you need to sleep and are woken up at six in the morning to provide a urine sample for anti-doping testing. Players that are unable to cope with this unpredictability will not succeed.
Media as we know can be good or bad, but it is part of the game when you are playing high-level competitions and constantly in the spotlight. There are times they will try to push you into saying more of what they want to hear and less of what you want to say, which might leave you feeling frustrated. By being patient, you’ll be able to remain composed, consider your responses more carefully and thoughtfully, and prevent any slip-ups or inadvertent remarks.
Strong Physicality
The greatest tennis players need to have bodies that can withstand the beating they receive on tour, as modern tennis has become such a physically demanding sport. It might be difficult to decide when to give the body time to rest and when to play through, but this must be considered sensibly. As seen on TV, even the best elite tennis athletes have endured injuries. The reality is that there is so much you can put your body through before it breaks down. However, you must be aware if it breaks down too readily, it is either due to innate weakness or because the athlete doesn’t undertake enough strengthening training. This must be seriously considered, as the training program for the player might need changing.
The highs and lows
If a player is having success, there is a surge of optimism that can lead to difficulties, such as physical strain, no downtime in between tournaments, increased media interest, increased peer pressure, and a build-up of ranking points that must be maintained the next year. Similarly, a run of negative outcomes may be extremely discouraging and distressing. Many athletes get so enamoured with their current performance that they fail to perceive a route out or that they might even lose favour. The players that are successful handle everything as an average in which they must control.
Support
One of the main challenges faced by an elite athlete, is financial support. The financial pressures of travelling week in, week out, are among the most difficult to navigate. Before they rose to the top, Roger Federer and Serena Williams did not have the financial resources they do now. The process to get to their level is long, difficult, and unpredictable. Tennis is an extremely expensive sport and many aspiring players are limited to how much they can travel and compete. If you are fortunate enough to secure a source of funding from either a sponsor or relative, this will relieve a great deal of the player’s pressure and help them accomplish their objectives.
Many people forget to see the importance of emotional support for players. Life on tour is not all as glamorous as it seems from the outside. Stressors may affect players internally, which can lead to mental health issues and ultimately affect their performances on and off the court. It is essential to seek for help when needed or to have a trusted companion you can travel with and speak to. This could be your tennis or fitness coach, psychologist, family member or friend.
Travel
Be prepared to live out of a suitcase or be away from home for long parts of the year. The yearly calendar tour is a busy one and it will have you flying from one country to another. While players can plan their tournament schedules, they cannot predict how far they will get to from one week to the next. As a result, they may stay in one hotel for just two nights before moving on to another for twelve, never knowing when they will have time to do their laundry.
