Serena: The Best Ever? Marco Di Nardo
record. Just as she reached the new record, however, she was dethroned from the number one ranking by Angelique Kerber. Serena returned to world number one after her win in Melbourne, however, and now has a total of 312 weeks as the worldʼs best player. The debate about who the best player of all time is, on both the men and womenʼs side, has been raging for some years now. Everyone has an opinion, and the sheer number of statistics available these days makes it easy to justify almost any and every point of view. As fast as the
womenʼs circuit goes, Serena Williams has been part of the conversation for a long time. With her Australian Open win a few weeks ago, Williams climbed to 23 titles, surpassing Steffi Graf as the undisputed leader of the Open Era. Only Margaret Smith Court is now ahead of Williams, having won 24 (though only 11 in the
Open Era). But is holding the most Slam trophies enough to call Williams the greatest player of all time? Letʼs have a look at some of the other statistics as well. Last year, Serena Williams enjoyed her 186th consecutive week at top spot of the world rankings, equaling Steffi Grafʼs world
Only Graf (377 weeks) and Navratilova (332) have spent longer at the position than her. Grafʼs record is still a long way off, and perhaps even unattainable, but Navratilova is within very realistic reach. Even catching up to Graf, which would require another full year at the top from Serena, is not unimaginable.
Moving on to the number of years spent as the year-end number one, we find a similar picture: Graf holds the record (8), followed by Navratilova (7), then Williams and Evert (5). It would take a truly Herculean effort to catch up to Graf in this case. Williams would have to end as the year-end number one another three times just to equal Graf, and given the fact that she has managed to do so only five times
in her whole career, it seems a safe bet that Graf始s record will remain untouched by the time Serena retires. The WTA Player of the Year award is a different story though. Awarded at the end of each season usually, but not always, to the player with the most ranking points, Williams is just one behind Graf, who won 8 to Serena始s 7. It始s certainly possible that Serena might surpass
the German here, especially given that she does not have to end with the most ranking points to win it. It始s a similar scenario as far as the ITF World Championships is concerned, with Graf narrowly leading with 7 titles. Williams and Navratilova follow closely behind with 6. The WTA Finals is one arena where Martina Navratilova is actually the holder of the record. She won 8 of these prestigious titles,
with Serena a relatively distant second (5). Serena has participated in the event only 9 times, reaching 7 finals and winning 5 titles. She has often sat out due to injury, which explains why she has not appeared more often given her dominance of the WTA Tour. Finally, we examine the question of the calendar Grand Slam. Maureen Connolly won the first in 1953. Margaret Court followed suit in 1970, with Steffi
Graf recording the last such feat in 1988, the only one in the Open Era. Serena has never managed to win all 4 Grand Slam titles in the same year, but twice managed to win four consecutive Slams. These came in 2002/2003, when she won Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open, and then again in 2014/2015, when she won the US Open, Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. This year, the youngest of the Williams sisters will again attempt to win a “true” calendar Grand Slam. That being said, having won four consecutive Slams twice is, in the eyes of many, even more impressive than winning a single calendar Slam. This is especially
true since it came so far apart, meaning she had to contend with two different generations of challengers. The debate over who is the best player of all time will likely go on forever. Serena boasts some incredible numbers, to be sure, but itʼs unlikely that she will be able to break all of the records
mentioned above before she retires. That means that there will still be some ammunition for someone to argue that Graf, or someone else, was the better player. The argument over strength of competition, or lack thereof in Williamsʼ case, could also count against her in the long run. But one thing is certain: Williams
already has a solid case for being proclaimed as the best player of all time. The coming years will certainly see her strengthen that case, perhaps even to the point where the majority of pundits will view her as the best ever.
Federerʼs Slam Records Marco Di Nardo
After yet another triumph at a Grand Slam event, this time at the 2017 Australian Open, Roger Federer again confirmed that he is still able to beat the best players in the world. With this latest win, he has put even more distance between himself and his rivals in terms of total Slams won, and he might finally have put the record out of reach. Federerʼs chief competitors for the record are, of course, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, both of whom have won a large number of Slams themselves. Until very recently, in fact, it was assumed that one of these players would eventually overtake Federer. However, after Melbourne, that scenario is looking less and less likely. Grand Slam titles won
(all-time) 1. Roger Federer 18 2. Pete Sampras 14 2. Rafael Nadal 14 4. Roy Emerson 12 4. Novak Djokovic 12 6. Rod Laver 11 6. Bjorn Borg 11 As you can see from this list, Federer has a lead of four Major wins over his nearest rival, Nadal. Despite the Spaniardʼs tremendous run Down Under, it seems unlikely that he will win another Slam outside of Roland Garros. Even if we give him three French Open titles, meaning he has to win just one of the other to tie Federer, itʼs
a very tall order. Djokovic still needs six wins just to tie Federer, which is not an insurmountable task on the face of it. But the Serb has been struggling for the better part of a year now, and itʼs likely that he has passed the peak of his career. He will almost certainly win more Slams, but six might be out of his reach. Federer may also not be finished winning, and could push out the mark even further in the coming years. Grand Slam finals reached (all-time) 1. Roger Federer 28
2. Novak Djokovic 21 2. Rafael Nadal 21 4. Ivan Lendl 19 5. Pete Sampras 18 As for the record for number of appearances in Grand Slam finals, itĘźs incredible to think that, just a few years ago, Ivan Lendl held this distinction. But he was passed in quick succession by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer now has a lead of seven over Nadal and Djokovic, which is almost insurmountable. ItĘźs not impossible to imagine somebody passing him, but it seems very unlikely.
Grand Slam semifinals reached (alltime) 1. Roger Federer 41 2. Jimmy Connors 31 2. Novak Djokovic 31 4. Ivan Lendl 28 5. Andre Agassi 26 Yet another record held by the Swiss Maestro. Here is advantage is even greater than it is in the previous category (+10 over Djokovic). Whether or not Djokovic manages to pass Federer in this category depends very much on how many more years the Swiss will play. If Federer retires soon, Djokovic may have a chance.
Grand Slam matches won (all-time) 1. Roger Federer 314 2. Jimmy Connors 233 3. Novak Djokovic 229 4. Andre Agassi 224 5. Ivan Lendl 222 Of all the Slam records Federer currently holds, this might be the most difficult to break. He has an impressive 85 matches over Djokovic, an enormous difference, especially if Federer keeps playing. In addition to all the above-mentioned records, Federer also holds the record for the most quarter-finals reached at Grand Slams (41), as well as the
number of consecutive quarter-finals and semifinals reached. Perhaps the most incredible stat of all, however, is that Federer won his first Slam in 2003, and his
most recent victory came in 2017. He has played Slam-winning tennis for 14 years now, a truly remarkable accomplishment. Throughout that time he has had to compete against various
generations of tennis players, and always proved himself to be the their equal and, in most cases, their superior. In Slams, at least, his numbers are basically untouchable.
British Beast
Points won on second serve on 2016 47% on 2017 52%
Alex Bisi
Points won on first serve on 2016 28% on 2017 30%
The rise of Daniel Evans
Daniel Evans has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2017 season so far. He reached the final in Sydney before enjoying the most successful Slam of his career at the Australian Open. One of the biggest reasons for this sudden success has been the improvements in his return game. By comparing his numbers from 2016 to those of 2017, we can easily see why
he has been so good this year. Break points converted on 2016 39% on 2017 52% Return games won on 2016 20% on 2017 25%
Points won on return on 2016 36% on 2017 38% Of course we are only at the start of the season, but according to the ATP, Evans leads the way in converting break points among players who have earned 50 or more break point
opportunities. Even though he only improved 2% in terms of first serve return points won, that is still a significant number. Winning points off first serve returns is always difficult, and every improvement in that category goes a long way. As far as second turn return points won
are concerned, he enjoyed a 5% jump in that category. That brings him close to 50% of second serve points won, a very rare distinction indeed. Even on his own serve, Evans saw marked improvement in his play. He managed to save break points on his own serve 60% of the time when making a first serve, four points ahead
of his compatriot Andy Murray. Of course, Evans has set a very high bar for himself to start the year. It remains to be seen if he can keep it up, but if he can, the sky is the limit.
Hope For Harrison Marco Di Nardo
Memphis, the city of rock and roll, knows a thing or two about fallen stars. It seems fitting then, that this is the place where Ryan Harrison would seek his redemption, and prove to all his critics that his case is not as hopeless as they like to make out. There is no doubt that Ryan HarrisonĘźs career has fallen short of expectations. Once hailed as the future of American tennis, Harrison has barely been able to stay on the ATP World Tour, let alone dominate it. He has been plying his trade mostly on the Challenger Tour for quite some time now, but things have been turning around for him of late. The 2017 season is only a few months old, but Harrison can already boast of a ten-game winning streak, victory at the Challenger tournament in Dallas and, above all, victory
at the ATP 250 event in Memphis. Now 43 in the world rankings, a career high, Harrison is once again attracting the notice of tennis pundits worldwide. The first time we paid real attention to Harrison was in 2011, when he reached the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells. He defeated the likes of Chardy, Garcia-Lopez and Raonic en route to the round of 16 before finally losing to Roger Federer. There had been rumblings about his talent before this, but at Indian Wells the world saw for the first time that he was able to
translate that talent into wins against some of the best players in the world. He soon entered the Top 100, and the Top 50 not long after that. But just as it seemed as if the script would play out perfectly, Harrison started losing. And he didnĘźt stop losing for a very long time. In 2012 he fell back out of the Top 100, and apart from the occasional decent run at a mid-level tournament, he posted no encouraging results at all. He was, it seemed, mired in mediocrity with no real prospect of emerging from that quagmire any time soon.
And so he wandered in the wilderness for five years, never quite disappearing but never amounting to much either. He spent most of his time fruitlessly plugging away on the Challenger circuit, occasionally making the odd ineffective foray onto the ATP Tour proper. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, 2017 happened. Confident in mind and accurate in shot, Harrison has suddenly again shown himself capable of beating very good players on a regular basis. During his win at the ATP 250 event in Memphis, he was
serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. After going up 15-0, he played three poor points to go down 15-40. It was here where the old Harrison would have fallen apart. Faced with an opportunity wrapped in a challenge, he would have promptly withered and lost the break, the set and eventually the match. But this is not the old Harrison. He followed those poor points with a flurry of unreturnable serves and aces, putting away the set, the match and the championship. One day we might look back at this tournament
as HarrisonĘźs turning point, when he finally became the player everyone expected him to be. We might then also place extra importance on the fact that he beat Donald Young in the semifinals. Young, also once a supposed savior of American tennis, has faded into even greater obscurity than Harrison. With that win, and this tournament triumph, we might think he sealed his destiny as the next great American tennis champion. Or, this may simply be a moment of rare brightness in an otherwise gloomy career. Which will turn out to be true, only time can reveal.
Nicola Kuhn, Building a champion He is training hard since 2012 at the JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy. Under the orders of his coach Fran Martinez, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Antonio Cascales who supervise him every day, Kuhn is destined to be part of the history of Spanish tennis players. Despite not being 17 (he turns into it this month) Nicola Kuhn is one of the biggest promising tennis players in Spain. He was born in Germany, but he has been living in Spain since he was just a babyborn. In fact, he is part of the Spanish group of tennis players. Since 2012, he is carrying out his career at the JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy. In the academy, Kukn
has combined his studies with his tennis training, working up to 7 hours per day, doing among others activities: tennis practice, fitness or psychology work. “It is a very difficult task, given he is not only training technically or physically but also academically” says his coach Fran Martinez, who is like a second father for Nico “I spend more time with Fran than with anyone else. We are together for 4 years now, so we have got to know each other and our relationship is simply perfect, not only in court
but also outside. It is something special and I wish we could be like that my entire career”. Nico Kuhn and Pablo Carreño Busta are the great expectations of the Spanish men professional tennis in the not too distant future. To achieve their goals, the academy JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy is doing a constant hard work trying to keep their feet on the ground. “Nico spends over 5 hours per day practicing in court, but the rest of the time he is doing activities out
of the court. It is complicated for him and people around him to keep calm and transmit him the same message: to be a sensitive and mature athlete and person” says Martinez. Kuhn has always stood up in all categories he has attended to. Even last year, in spite of being 16, he played U-18 tournaments. “We move ahead step by step, focusing always on the daily work. We should keep calm when we are facing professionals players” says his coach.
The transition from the junior tournaments to the professional tournaments, is very difficult and some players have lost themselves, but Kuhn has been prepared thoroughly. “every phase is though but we are in no rush, we go all the way carefully” underline Martinez. While Nico says “If you are nervous or anxious you will make mistakes. One of the most important things to keep you calm is to enjoy what you do. This feeling is even better if you are working well”
From the beginning of the year, Kuhn is attending Futures tournaments. Last year he did such a good performance in 4 Grand Slam, getting quarterfinals at the US Open, and semifinals in Roland Garros. “He was ready, more mature and he wanted to do it very well and get past rounds. It was a wonderful experience for him, he could overcome difficult situations” says Martinez. Besides, Nicola Kuhn has had the opportunity to take part in two preliminary rounds of ATP tournaments in Valencia and Barcelona, where he won a set and was very close to win the match. “there were great experiences which are worth considering at this stage and the ITF tournaments”. Reveals Kuhn, and recognizes that “ I am a complete player, I have good shoots and good physical state, but I have to keep working to get the ATP
professional levels. If we compare a 215 serve with another one of 180...there is a big difference” Martinez and Kuhn keep working hard. Juan Carlos Ferrero and Antonio Cascales help them too “Juan Carlos and Toni are very supportive, they share their knowledge and experience with me. Juan Carlos has been world no.1 and he has lived all the situations I am passing through, so his advices are so
important for me.
so special for me”.
An unique experience thank of being part of JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy, where the ex no.1 lives alongside his tennis players every day since he is living inside the academy too. “I think not all young tennis players have this benefit, it is a great opportunity for me so I try to enjoy and take advantage of it as much as possible, I always say that Juan Carlos has been one of my favorites, and being able to work with him is
With Nicola Kuhn, the future of the Spanish tennis is guaranteed, even more after knowing the work he is doing. He is a jewel that from JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy refined every day. “We are a big family, we feel ourselves at home, I strongly recommend to other players to visit us and take part of our family, it is worth” concludes the player
Eating Well: The Best Tennis Diet Marco Di Nardo
The use of a special diet in tennis has, along with other sports, become more and more popular over the past few years. The importance of proper nutrition for sportspeople is now widely acknowledges as a very important factor in overall performance. Today we are going to look at the various factors one needs to
take into account when planning a diet for a tennis player, whether that player is an amateur or a pro. Examples: Roddick and Djokovic Before getting into the practical side of things, letĘźs look at two real-life examples where players, after changing their diets, saw massive improvements in their on-court play. The first example is that of Andy Roddick. At just 21 years of age he won the US Open and became the world number one. During this
time, which was a very successful one from a results point of view, Roddick ate very unhealthily. He often had fast food, so much so that he astonished fellow players at the 2004 Athens Olympics with his eating habits. These habits would quickly catch up with the American, however. Over the coming years, his results would become less and less impressive, to the point where he failed to reach a Slam final in 2007 and 2008. So, during his preparations for the
2009 season and under the watchful eye of new coach Larry Stefanki, Roddick started paying attention to what he ate. The results were emphatic and immediate, with the American again competing at the highest levels of the sport. At Wimbledon he even reached the final, losing one of the greatest matches in the history of the tournament against Roger Federer. The other major example is Novak Djokovic, whose story is a bit different to RoddickĘźs. Until 2010, the Serb was one of the best players in the world, but he was always unable to break the duopoly of Federer and Nadal. Though he was number three in the world, he could not take that next step which would allow him to reach for number one. One of his biggest problems was he physical fragility. He often had to retire from matches and tournaments, particularly because of breathing problems.
He tried everything to overcome these issues, from changing his workout methodology and schedule to eating different foods. Eventually, after many failed attempts, he decided to cut out gluten from his diet, on the advice from one of his doctors. As he recounts in his autobiography, it was as if he were a different person. Starting in 2011 and until very recently, he would be the most dominant player on the Tour. For most of that time he would be world number one. From theory to practice
Now let us move on to more practical matters. In particular, we are going to focus on "oneday tournaments," which are becoming more and more popular at all levels of play. The idea is simple: you play all of the matches that would usually be played in a multi-day event, but you play them in a single day. For example, letĘźs say it is a Sunday and you are playing a single-day tournament. Your first match is scheduled for 2PM, and if you win you will have to play more matches later on, with only a 30 minute break in-between each match.
Knowing that you might have a very long, taxing day, when and what should you eat? The first thing is that you must remember not to eat too close to your first match. Generally, you want to wait at least two hours after youʼve eaten before playing a match. This is to avoid strenuous activity while your body is still busy with important digestive processes. So if your first match is at 2PM, itʼs best to eat around noon. But on a macro level, what nutrients do we need? To reach our best athletic performance, what we need most are carbohydrates, which are stored in our muscles (and liver) in the form of glycogen. Glycogen is essential because it is the shortterm energy source that is used by our body for physical activity. Once the glycogen stores run out, we begin to feel fatigue and our performance suffers. This is why we must eat food that gives us the biggest store of energy when we need it most – during the tennis match
(or matches, if we play a one-day tournament). But we must be careful which carbohydrates we eat, especially paying attention to the glycemic index of the foods that we consume before the tournament. Foods with a high glycemic index cause a rise in glucose levels in the blood, which causes the secretion of insulin from the pancreas to counteract this effect. The result is that blood glucose levels fall below the normal level. Instead of feeling stronger after a couple of hours after eating a meal, we get hungry
again and we feel weaker. This, of course, negatively affects performance. For this reason, our meal should consist of low-glycemic carbohydrates, such as fruit (with some exceptions). Peaches, apples, pears, apricots, oranges and kiwi are all fruits that can safely be consumed in large quantities. Even bananas, often considered as a food to avoid thanks to its high glycemic index, may be helpful depending on the ripeness of the fruit. A fairly unripe banana (green skin) has much
less simple sugars (those that increase the glycemic index) than fairly ripe bananas (yellow or black skin). A fairly unripe banana, therefore, has a low glycemic index, and can be consumed without negatively impacting performance. During each match, it is important to take in more carbohydrates, which will save glycogen. Usually, during a match, you should take in maltodextrins, which are diluted in water, and have the advantage of being rapidly absorbed. These are classified
according to dextroseequivalence, a numeric value ranging from 0 (starch complex) to 100 (glucose), which indicates the length of the carbohydrate chain of the maltodextrins. The higher the DE (dextrose equivalent), the shorter the carbohydrate chain, and the higher the rate of absorption. If you win your first match, you must again consume new carbohydrates before the next match. The purpose is always to preserve glycogen in order to avoid feeling tired. Between one
match and another, it is important to eat carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, which will allow you to quickly recuperate. In these cases it is better, for example, to eat a fairly ripe banana. With dinner, or the meal that follows the tournament, it is important to take in protein, fat, fiber and minerals. To recover the sodium lost during exercise, just add a bit of salt to food. With freshly-squeezed orange juice, and without the use of mineral supplements, we can quickly recover various lost electrolytes. Fats in tennis diets Another important thing to consider is how much fat to take in as a tennis player. In fact, depending on the type of physical activity taking place, the energy intake from lipids may vary. In aerobic sports, during which energy expenditure is greater (marathon, ultramarathon, cycling, etc.), the amount of fat in the diet should be slightly higher. This is because
in these activities lipids are more extensively used for energy by the body. In tennis (an alternating aerobicanaerobic sport), the proportion should be less. However, it is always important to differentiate between the various types of fat. Saturated fatty acids, for example, which do not have double bonds between the carbon atoms, are found mainly in foods of animal origin and are those to which one must pay the closest attention. This
is because an excess of these fats appears to be related to an increase in total cholesterol (and also LDL, the so-called "bad" cholesterol). Monounsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, have a double bond between carbon atoms, and are found mostly in foods such as olive oil or avocados. Finally, polyunsaturated fatty acids are those that have multiple double bonds between carbons, and these include essential fatty acids such as omega-6 and omega-3. Omega-3
is found mainly in certain types of fish, including salmon (especially the wild variety), mackerel and sardines. Good amounts of Omega-3 can also be found in eggs, milk and milk derivatives, especially when the animals from which these products originated have been fed with green grass or a diet rich in essential fatty acids. If it is important to make a distinction between the different types of fat, it is also important not to exceed your total
caloric intake from fat (regardless of its type). High levels of blood fats also lead to elevating blood sugar levels, because carbs cannot flow well when blood fat levels are high. This means the pancreas and adrenal glands are forced to work harder to lower blood sugar levels. Finally, here is a list of items sorted by fat content (from the poorest to the richest, grams of fat per 100 g). For some of these, I took into account various types of the
same food (different brands, for example), which have different nutritional values. Ribes 0 (g); Pumpkin 0.1; Pineapple 0.12; Pears 0.12; Watermelon 0.15; Grape 0.16; Apple 12.17; Melon 0.19; Chard 0.2; Skimmed milk 0.2; Peaches 0.25; 00.28 Plums; Strawberry 0.3; Figs 0.3; Spelt 0.3; Bananas 0.33; Prunes 12.38; Apricots 12.38; Dried dates 0.39; Spinach 0.39; Fresh peas 0.4; Rice basmati 0.4; Dried apricots 0.5; Raisins 0.5; Brussel sprouts 0.5; Kiwi 12.52; Pearl barley 0.8;
Chicken breast 0.8; Pearl barley 1.0; Dried lentils 1.0; Rice milk 1.0; Low-fat milk 1.5; Soy milk 1.8; Brown rice 1.9; Dried apples 2.0; Raw beans 2.0; Whole wheat pasta 2.1; Chestnuts 2.26; Sorghum 2.3; Bresaola 2.6; Veal 2.7; Dried figs 2.7; Adult cattle 3.4; Whole milk 3.6; Almond milk 3.9; Raw Parma ham 3.9; Rabbit 5.9; Dried chickpeas 6.3; Drumstick 6.5; Horse 6.8; Lightweight pig 7.0; Heavy pig 9.9; Cow cheese 10.9; Ricotta 11.5; Ricotta 12.91 goat; Avocado 14.66; Ham
14.7; Mozzarella 17; Buffalo ricotta 17.3; Speck Alto Adige 19.1; Prosciutto Crudo 22; Coconut milk 24; Buffalo Mozzarella 24.4; Mortadella Bologna 25; Grana Padano 28; Parmigiano Reggiano 28.1; Pork sausage 28.36; Salami Milano 31.1; 33.49 Coconut; Salami hunter 34; Hungarian salami 34; 45 Bio pistachios; 49.24 Peanuts; Pistachios 50; Nuts 65; Butter 81.
Mental Strength And Physical Focus Florio Panaiotti
You can often see top tennis players engage in some strange behavior on the court. Some players tug on their shirts in a very specific way before each serve – Andy Roddick was famous for that – while others might touch their face in-between points. Television commentators often point out these idiosyncrasies as “ticks,” especially when someone like Rafael Nadal spends an eternity before each point engaging in various rituals. But far from being indicative of obsessive compulsive disorder, these habits often have positive effects on a playerʼs mental state. But what are these routines? They have a double objective. On the one hand, they are a way of focusing a playerʼs attention. Tennis is a sport with many mini-breaks, and it is easy for oneʼs mind to wonder. If a player has a physical action to remind him that now itʼs time to concentrate, it can help focus his thoughts. On the other hand, they also act as a distraction to keep a playerʼs mind from focusing on negative thoughts. One of the biggest dangers in a tennis match is getting mentally thrown off course by a series of poor points. One negative thought builds on another, and before long a playerʼs whole mindset is so toxic that there is no way he can
possibly play well, let alone win the match. Two players commonly associated with their on-court routines are Ivan Lendl and Rafa Nadal, both of whom are known as being extremely tough mentally. It is no coincidence that they use physical cues on the court, as these help them stay focused and on message. In order to create your own routines, just think about the natural ebb and flow of a tennis match, and where there
are lots of breaks. For example, when changing sides or in-between points. A typical strategy is to clean the baselines (on a clay court) after each point. Another is doing something with the ball while serving, such as rotating it in your hand in a certain way. Even checking the balls after each point while serving often does not have anything to do with the wear on the balls, it is simply a way of focusing the mind before a serve. If you use strategies like these, you will soon find that your attention span lasts longer during a match, and you will think fewer
negative thoughts. Of course, the usefulness of the routine depends on the type of person. If you are like John McEnroe, who was able to switch his concentration on and off at will, youĘźll need less of these tricks. But if you have difficulty staying focused during a match, try these tips, you might find that they help a lot. Good luck!
Goal Setting Tennis
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Marina Gerin Birsa
Setting goals for oneself is not a new concept for either athletes or coaches, but it is a one that is regularly neglected or completely ignored. Goals are often not “well formed,” by which I mean that they are vague, contradictory, ill-directed or too ambitious.
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Goal setting is one of the major mental preparation exercises for tennis players, though it is easily overlooked due to the fact that it is such a natural activity. We set goals in our everyday lives as well, but particular attention must be paid to our goals as athletes. Understanding exactly what it is we want to achieve in a certain period of time provides a focus point for our efforts on the court, and often leads to improved results. However, having a goal is only one part of the equation. The other is to actually strive towards that goal to doggedly pursue it even if the going gets tough. We must also be very aware of what kind of goals we are setting for ourselves. We might have the right motivation and the right passion to strive towards a goal that states “win a Grand Slam,” but we must be realistic about our abilities and expectations. Setting small goals and achieving them is much more rewarding that setting massive goals that aren’t realistically achievable. Once those goals
have been reached, it is also important to set new goals, else we might drift astray and become demotivated by not having a new target to aim for. Here are some tips for effective goal setting: • Define the goal in a clear and accurate way: the coach must try and explain to the athlete the rationale behind one choice over another, and the decision must be taken jointly. • The goal must be meaningful. A goal without much meaning will lose value and will not constitute a good challenge. • Establish specific and measurable goals. In the case of matches and tournaments it is easier, because one can focus on victory or defeat. When it comes to more intangible measures (such as improving concentration), it is advisable to use scales (for example,
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how much did you improve on a scale of 1 to 10?). • Have goals for the short, medium and long term. Reflect on goals that have been reached, and use them as motivation for future successes. Knowing that you are able to reach the goals you set is an important element in improving as a player. • Prioritise performance goals. There are two types of goals: performance and outcome. A performance goal involves improving a certain athletic skill (such as improving your forehand or backhand) or mental ability (attention, communication with the coach etc.). An outcome goal is related to match wins. Initially it is better to focus on performance goals before moving on to the more difficult and less predictable outcome goals later on. Prioritise performance goals by giving them a rating or importance.
This makes it easier to manage them. • Formulate the goal in positive terms. Scientific literature shows us how detrimental and ineffective it is to focus on a sentence that contains the term “not” (I must NOT make so many mistakes; I must NOT keep my legs so stiff). Generally this leads us to achieve the exact opposite of what we want. Therefore, we absolutely have to change this sentence from negative to positive (my hand will be firm; I will be loose and relaxed, calm and in control of myself; my movement will be fluid). • Plan out how you will achieve the goal. The coach must supply a detailed work programme which addresses the goals that the student is striving for. • Provide an evaluation of the goal. At the end of the performance, both the player and coach must analyse the situation and rate how well the goal has been achieved. When constructing "well formed" goals, there are a number of factors to take into account: • The goal must be important and meaningful on a personal level • All consequences positive and negative need to be evaluated • Other people’s interests (coach, family, friends) need to be taken into account • First-person experiences must be sought out when deciding on a goal • Expectations of success and the possibility of failure must be addressed • Players must believe that they can achieve the goals that are being set
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Now, let’s do an exercise. If you are an athlete, start compiling the Goal Table by beginning with your most recent goals, and then moving on to short, medium and long term ones. The table will serve as a record of your goals and a measure of your progress. A month after completing the table, check it again to see how you are coming along with your stated goals. Let’s look at an example. John has recently achieved a goal that was very meaningful to him: winning an important tournament. He
now formulates his next goal: improving his net play. It is a performance goal (and a technical goal), and he wants to improve his play from a level 6 to a level 7 in a month’s time. In the medium term (in six months’ time), John would like to focus on the management of national and international
events, which he rates as highly stressful. Again, this is a performance goal (and a psychological one). He is currently at level 4, and would like to be at level 7 in six months’ time. In the long term (in nine months’ time), John wants to win a national tournament of substantial importance. This is an outcome goal (and a technical goal). He is currently at level 3 and would like to move to level 10.
If you are a coach, ask your athletes to fill in the table. Work with them to think of the most suitable goals for them in the short, medium and long term.
Matches are won or lost‌ Federico Coppini
Matches are won or lost due to many different factors, such as physical conditioning, courage, intelligence, experience, talent and technique. If you are able to use the above factors better than your opponent, you will likely win the match. That being said, two elements stand out above the others in terms of their importance: the mind and the body. Tennis is a sport that can be played and enjoyed by people of all shapes and sizes for their entire lives. But the first thing that any player must master is concentration, that is, to always remain focused on their activities on the court. Concentration is a skill that can be acquired. A player who is able to focus on what he is doing and not allow his mind to wander can play much better than an opponent who is technically more talented but who lacks concentration. Surprisingly, fatigue
generally has more of a mental than a physical origin. In order to counter it, physical training can be used. Exercise sessions should focus on developing skills such as strength, speed, explosiveness, flexibility and effective movement on the court. This last point is particularly important, as club players will often find themselves arriving late to shots. By comparison, high level players and professionals seemingly arrive at the ball with all the time in the world to prepare their shots. One way of achieving this sort of extra time is to always run immediately after you hit the ball, and run
towards the contact point of the next shot as soon as your opponent hits their shot. Once you are near the ball, you can slow down to control your balance and body positioning. Of course, in order to implement any of the abovementioned elements and features, concentration above all is required. If you cannot concentrate on what you are doing, all the best intentions in the world will not allow you to fulfil your true potential. Therefore, always remember to focus!
Eight Seconds Federico Coppini
The serve is a fundamental stroke that does not only depend on your arm or technique. It all starts in the head. Here is how to use it best. The ability to execute a good serve in percentage and speed terms resides in the head, starting with the image of the shot a remembering (the image is based on past experiences) how much strength (the measurement or intensity of the shot) we have used in the past for a similar serve. The feeling is an acquired ability based on past experiences. It is stored in your memory data bank and plays a key role in generating the image of the shot. There are two types of ‘muscle memoryʼ: riding a bicycle is a good example of long term muscle memory, stored in oneʼs head and never forgotten. Everyone has a second kind of muscle memory called short term - thoughts and sensations that disappear from our bodies and minds at a rate of about 30% every eight seconds.
An example of this type of memory is a pinch: in eight seconds about one third of the feeling is lost. In the next eight seconds another third of what is left goes and on and on until there is nothing left to feel. Most humans operate with this same eightsecond clock so it is called the "time constant" of short-term memory. It is also a good measure of oneʼs loss of awareness acquired in the execution of oneʼs serve. Both memories, both long and short term, are important in the serve. Once you learn and know the feeling of your shot it will reside in your longterm memory and never
be totally forgotten. The feeling will come back just the way it does when riding a bicycle after a long time. Much has been written on what tennis players who are strong servers think. It is a highly subjective matter! Some focus on ‘feeling the rhythmʼ as if it were a melody; others try to feel a solid stance with a slight flexion of the front leg. Essentially it is about having a mental image of the movement which includes the control of oneʼs favourite sensorial channel (the noise of the impact with the ball, a visualisation of the perfect movement, a muscular feeling....) and focussing on it in the phase preceding the
execution of the serve. Added to this, the most common mental attitude among good servers is an awareness to be playing a conclusive shot; the constant search for that conclusive shot, the winner, with the serve or the following shot.
PSYCOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
Such techniques play a role in improving the planning of the phases preceding the serve, such as controlling the best state of psychophysical energy for the serve, attaining muscular relaxation, planning the game strategy that one intends to deploy, controlling the breathing before and during the execution of the serve...
HOW TO TRAIN Exercise 1
Try and carry out a series of serves paying attention in particular to the following phases: A- Together with your coach, choose two technical or technicaltactical objectives, making sure you have a primary and a secondary one; B- Execute the first serve trying to focus on the primary objective and partially on the secondary one; C- Maintain the follow through position for one or two seconds in order to try and retain as much as possible of the feeling in your memory; D- Try to execute the following serve no later than eight seconds after the
first; E- Before executing the second serve, reprogramme your focus on the primary and secondary objectives; F- Repeat the cycle.
Exercise 2
Pay particular attention to the management of the time between one serve and another. A- Take 3-4 seconds to breathe and recover physiologically from the previous point; B- Take 3-4 seconds to decide how to set up, in broad terms, the point that you are about to play; C- Make a decision: it is crucial to know what we want to do before executing an action; D- Check your activation state: check if you are poorly energised or too nervous; E- If you are too nervous, breathe deeply for 3-4 seconds. Breathe with your stomach, not your chest. F- If you are too relaxed, hop a few times before serving and breathe with your chest, not your stomach. G- Execute your serve. It is crucial to have no thoughts in oneĘźs mind that at the moment of execution, except perhaps beginning to prepare for the next shot.
Roger FedererĘźs Serve Federico Coppini
The 18-time Grand Slam champion may not have the fastest serve on the Tour, but itĘźs deadly in its accuracy. 1. Since each serve must be powerful, balanced and rhythmic, the first moments are critical. It is best to establish a pattern that works well and always repeat it, whether it is bouncing the ball a certain number of times or waiting a certain period of time before commencing the first movements.
Federer never rushes the first movements in his service motion. He always brings the ball to the throat of the racket before starting the ball toss. 2. The serve has many moving parts which must be coordinated, but how to coordinate these parts has changed
over the years. Instead of tossing the ball and raising the racket at the same rate, most players today leave the racket back a while, as Federer does here. This is to avoid the racket remaining idle once it reaches it is highest point, which interrupts the racket head speed and racket momentum. Federer bends his legs, transferring energy to his quadriceps. 3. While the ball toss is in process, Federer's right arm is bent and his wrist is loose. Many club players will hold the racketĘźs handle with a death grip. This creates tension in the wrist and forearm, negatively affecting racket
head speed. Federer's strikes the ball slightly to the right at around 2 o'clock. His ball strike, as well as the position of his wind-up, which exposes his back to the opponent, makes it very hard to tell which kind of serve he plans to hit. 4. Here it is: the famous trophy
position. But there are many things about this pose that makes it important for the execution of the serve. Federer is almost directly under the ball, with his chest pointing up and his eyes on the ball. From here, Federer can jump up at the ball, transferring all the energy from his legs to the serve. 5. Just before striking the ball, the racket is almost at its lowest point. This is key. The legs, torso and chest are all in upward motion but the racket has not yet begun to move. This is because the upward movement of the body will contribute to the upward movement of the arm once it starts moving, further
accelerating the racket head speed. 6. Here is a picture of the body immediately after contact with the ball. Federer's racket arm is fully extended. His body is slightly arched, as it is moving both upwards and outwards (the serve is a bit like a somersault).
The height of the racket allows Federer more space to hit the ball down over the net. His head remains high and his eyes remain on the point of contact until well after the ball has left the racket. 7. Federer's head is still high, although the shot is almost complete. The wrist has turned down on the ball and the momentum has been transferred. He is holding his left arm close to his body to maintain balance. The serve is a violent and powerful shot, but Federer makes it look very smooth and effortless. 8. Federer ends just inside the baseline
with his left foot. His right foot is kicked back, which helps with balance, and his knees are bent. He is now looking at his opponent, and is well positioned to be able to move both left and right after the split step.
Maria SharapovaĘźs Drive Volley Federico Coppini
1. Sharapova is sideways in relation to the net, with a wide base and her weight on the back foot. Few players hit the forehand drive volley as often, or as well, as Maria
Sharapova. She has been practicing this shot since she was a child, and it became a particularly important shot to her five years ago when she suffered a shoulder injury. She likes hitting it even more now as it places less stress on her shoulder than a
smash. Sharapova starts with her head and eyes facing up and watching the ball. Her racket is behind her body and her left arm is stretched out to help her maintain her balance. 2. When she starts to shift her weight forward, her eyes remain fixed on the ball. Many players at their local tennis
club will often frame this sort of shot. However, if you maintain a good racket head speed, as shown here, you will hit the ball more consistently. The ball is above her head, and he left arm falls to the side of her body as she rotates to hit
the shot. 3. Having pushed forward for the shot, her entire body weight now moves to the back foot. Sharapova makes contact with the ball at shoulder height in front of her body. At the moment of contact her elbow forms a 90° angle. That is perfect. Her string bed is straight ahead on
impact. Topspin is important here, but the ball is very high and limits how much she can put on it. 4. Her arm is completely stretched out towards her target. Her shoulder rotation brings her body in
alignment with the net and her weight forward. From this position, she can land easily, perform a split step and be ready for the next shot.