Many players in tennis never make it to the top. Yet, nobody asks why. People just assume that certain players aren’t good enough, and if you pay attention to live tennis odds, you will indeed see that some players just tend to be given much better chances of succeeding. Yet, onlookers may forget that there are many factors that determine what makes a player “good” or “bad” and why some players simply tend to perform better. Today, we will explore this and try to bust some popular myths.
Table of Contents
#1 Mindset and Mentality
The first thing you have to possess in order to stand out as a tennis player is to have the right attitude and mindset. Mindsets are not ready-given, although some people seem to be naturally more inclined to have the right qualities to become better at the game. However, a mindset can be cultivated, and as long as a player works hard to do that, they will pull ahead in their respective competition.
However, arriving at a mindset that allows you to think freely about the game and enjoy yourself will often take some effort. You need to remind yourself of some basic tenants, such as the fact that you cannot get angry at opponents for beating you or try to assign blame when what you really should be doing is to try and analyze room for improvement.
#2 Comprehend the Game
Tennis players are smart, and while physical characteristics play a huge role in how well you perform, you also ought to be able to strategize and plan your next move. In a heated exchange at the court, you want to try and steer the ball in such a manner that achieves one of two things – it either wears down your opponents or scores.
Achieving this is not always easy, but you can see the dynamic and how great players will make their opponents run and therefore expend a lot of effort to receive a ball while at the same time being put at a disadvantageous receiving position.
There are many subtleties of the experience that you will be truly appreciative of, and you will learn to enjoy, but in order to be a great player, you will have to learn how to steer your ball in such a manner that puts the opponent at a disadvantage, even though this may not appear “fair” or even very “sportsmanlike.”
#3 Ability to Track the Ball
Tennis tournaments have gone through many changes over the years, and one of the more significant technical aspects of the offers is the so-called tracking systems. These systems are there to see where the ball has landed and whether a judge needs to step in and make a decision about the landing site of the ball. Well, some players have proven even better than those systems, with tennis players able to overturn half of the decisions registered by the system.
That begs the question – how come some players are so much better at seeing the ball? Well, it has to do with what they have been trained to do. A great tennis player knows that his ability to track movement is an asset in a game that basically boils down to spotting a ball and sending it back to your opponent’s. If a player wants to make it to the top, they will need to learn how to best track the ball one way or another.
#4 An Endless Commitment to Their Career
One of the reasons why some players may struggle to achieve better results is that they are not committed enough to their careers. People like Djokovic and Federer, for example, Pironkova and Williams, are completely dedicated to what they do.
If a player wants to succeed, they will probably have to make some sacrifices in their personal lives as well. That means looking out for what they eat, drink, and what their sleeping routine is. All these little things truly add up, and they allow you to advance physically in your chosen field of expertise. Players will be happy to know that these sacrifices pay off, but not all are willing to stick to a strict regime – and it shows.
#5 Ability to Perform Well Under Stress
Being of the right mental fitness is important for any tennis player. We have seen some great players let their tempers loose on the court, and it’s never pretty. Well, a player who allows his emotions to control him or she will probably not make it too far in professional tennis, and it’s important to try and repeatedly remind yourself that staying in control of your emotions is what matters.
#6 Not Cut for It – a Myth?
In terms of pure physical prowess, there is little that humans cannot do. You can train your body to perform great under the most adverse conditions, and this brings us to the popular myth that some people just “aren’t cut for it.” Now, this sounds almost judgmental, and it is, but it’s also not true.
It’s all matter of rigorous training. If you want to excel, you will want to make sure that you commit and exercise without a stop. You will need to follow strict dietary and training regimes that won’t be up for debate. That is basically what being a great tennis player boils down to.
Playing repeatedly and consistently and working towards a specific end is what makes some players so much better one way or another. It’s important to stick with what matters in tennis, and the best players do.
Even the current top-ranked players work with health experts and coaches who work tirelessly to optimize their game. Even though these tennis players show a lot of potentials and have won many, many titles now, they keep listening to the wisdom of the people they trust to help shape their play for the better. That is it – it’s simple. The best tennis players are great at sticking to a routine and working hard.
