What Does It Take to Make a Champion?
As a tennis instructor, I see myself, first and foremost, as an educator. Since the vast majority of my students are junior players, I have a role in their life which is bigger than just showing them how to hit the ball or telling them how to move their feet. When I was a kid, I looked up to my coach, and to this day, still keep in touch with him and remember many of the things he taught me on the tennis court, but also life lessons that I learned playing the game for so many years.
I truly believe that tennis is as good an allegory of life as anything. When I played, I tried to become a champion, and that obviously meant winning matches, titles and moving up the ranking system. I tried to mostly develop the mentality of a champion, a state of mind and behavior that would allow me to perform at the top my game at the right time and express my talent to the world … a tennis player cannot ask for more. There is nothing more disappointing for a tennis player than showing up to a match and not being able to perform up to your potential.
We all have bad days, but there are ways to deal with such days. Good players, ones with a champion's mentality, play well and give themselves a chance to win, even when they are playing poorly. This is when the mental aspect of the game comes into the picture.
Having a champion's mentality doesn't grow on a tree. Yes, certain traits such as confidence or composure in pressure situations can come naturally, but the overall mentality of a champion is something that is built slowly over a long period. It usually starts with good habits in practice early on in one’s career, along with careful planning and solid advice from your coaches. The qualities that make a tennis champion will be very valuable after one’s tennis career ends, and for 99.9 percent of my students, that usually means after the age of 22 when they join the work force and use tennis as a networking tool.
Being a complete tennis player is more than just having good ground strokes or a big serve. It is about conducting yourself in the proper way that a top tennis player would. It is also not about the level of play, but the level of commitment to the game and the size of your heart. I honestly believe that if you conduct yourself in a professional manner when it comes to tennis, it will reflect in other areas of your life. I have used the things I have learned as a pro player in my personal life to help me cope with different complex situations. Over the years, I have given my students many lectures on how to conduct themselves as tennis players. I find that this aspect of coaching is just as important as the technical side. I have put together a list of practical tips of what a tennis player should strive to be. Each player is different and unique in their own way, but I have learned that the true champs are usually made from the same mental fortitude and that there is a lot to be learned by observing their conduct both on and off the court.
1. Practice as you perform, and perform as you practice
Perhaps the single most important tip is stated directly above. I have never met a great champion who does not practice with intensity and sharp focus. As a teaching pro, the number one asset a student has is the ability to push him/herself on the training court. When there is a will (to work), there will be a way, and this is more important than pure natural talent. The second part of the sentence is to perform as you practice, not only on the practice court and training sessions, but to perform in a similar way in a real match situation. The true champs actually play better in real matches.
2. Always remain positive during a match, and do not show your weaknesses
Being a tennis player means being a good actor. You could be in the midst of a very bad patch during a match, but if you are a true champion, you will act as if the next point will be the first point of your comeback. You need a very short memory in tennis. That easy volley on top of the net you just missed must quickly become ancient history. The only productive thing you can do when this happens or when you are playing badly is to go to the next point as if nothing happened. You should look your opponent in the eye and give them the feeling that you know what you did wrong and that from now on you are going to change the momentum of the match. This is your best shot of making any kind of a comeback. When you are not playing well, but are able to maintain a sense of calmness, you are sending a message to your opponent that you are not giving up, ever!
3. Don't ever bad mouth yourself after a poor match
We have all been there … we lose a match we should not have lost and want the whole world to know how badly we played. This is not the trait of a champion. They simply shake hands gracefully, walk off the court with their head held up, and hit the showers. It is best not to talk to others about your bad performances. Simply say you had a bad day or give your opponent a compliment, even if they don't deserve it. Being a graceful loser will make winning sweeter and also earn you respect amongst your peers. True champs never make excuses!
4. Don't hang out with the party animals during a tournament
As a kid, my coach always encouraged me to befriend the top players, try to train with them and pick their brain. That was a great piece of advice on more than one level. Sure, it's fun to run and throw water balloons in the hotel hallway or to grab a Big Mac after the match, but the ones who do that usually end up losing on the first day of the tournament. When going to tournaments, I would try look for the top kids, watch them play, chat with them and their coaches, and try to learn from them and their game. There will always be enough time to party AFTER the tournament.
5. Develop your own rituals
All great champions have their routine—a series of habits that help put them in the right state of mind before a match. Each player has their own preference on how long to practice before a match, what to eat, when to stretch, etc., When going deep into a long tournament, those rituals and repetitive actions can be very useful. A successful player needs rhythm, and performing rituals the same way each day can create that rhythm.
6. Plan the next day the night before each match
Whenever I take young players to tournaments, I am shocked at how little they know about planning ahead. A champion plans the next day very carefully, as there are many things to think about. It all starts with what time is bedtime. What time should you wake up? What time should you warm up? When should you eat breakfast and what should be eaten for breakfast? When should you eat between matches? What should you do after each match? How should you end the day. A solid and organized daily schedule can help one go deep in a tournament. Often, there are multiple matches and weather conditions can also come into play, so pre-planning can be critical to success.
7. Think big, but act small
A true champion is one that goes into any match with a "winning feeling.” You have to go into a tennis match thinking that you are going to win it, otherwise there is no point in even showing up. Even when going against the top seeds, you want to believe that you have a chance to win. I used to visualize myself shaking hands with my opponent saying to them, "Nice match, bad luck for your loss.” You have to see it in your vision in order for it to happen. The true champions always think they can win the tournament, but they keep it to themselves and try to win one match at a time. When going into a tournament, they usually belittle their chances and respect other people's chances of winning the tournament. It always pays off to be humble and low key. Keep away from the limelight and let others talk about winning, while you just do your talking with the racket.
8. Keep your feet on the ground
Being a tennis player is a long-term thing. It is more than doing well in one tournament, it is about your entire body of work, your consistent performances, how you handled yourself in different situations, how you recovered from letdowns, how you conducted yourself with other players, the media, etc. There have been examples of players who didn't last very long, that burned out or simply self-destructed. The true champs always keep their feet on the ground. They don't lose perspective when they win, which allows them to keep on winning. They also don't sulk for too long when they lose. They simply move on to the next tournament and show up with a vengeance which allows them to return to their winning ways.
9. Respect the game
A true champion is one who respects the game of tennis. Sure, there have been some champions who were not as graceful as a Stefan Edberg, Rod Laver or Roger Federer, but for the most part, the true memorable champs are respectful of the game of tennis. They will always be in top shape, always battle until the last point is won and are always working to improve their game and add more weapons to their arsenal. They also respect other great players and the deep and rich history of the sport.
As you can see, most of the qualities on this list can apply to non-tennis life as well. You don't have to be Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic to call yourself a champion. It is merely an attitude that can be adopted when trying to excel in anything. As I said before, tennis for me is an allegory of real life, and I often use what I learned on the tennis courts to tackle real-life situations each day.
