If you know me, there is at least one thing that you can say for certain: I am a meticulous man who likes to follow a very particular routine. I like things to be a certain way, following a certain order, in a certain structure, in order to feel as comfortable as possible. This is what makes me feel at ease, in my most secure state of mind. My “comfort zone” is where I like to be.
However, tennis has taught me lessons that have had a profound impact on me. This “comfort zone” that I have mentioned … well, it doesn’t last long. The danger of limiting myself to short-term comfort rather than focusing on long-term development is not something that I have learned all at once; rather, I have grown to understand over time that the only way to improve as a tennis player, and as a person, is to take a step outside those boundaries.
I want to make one thing clear: the process of leaving my safe patterns is still very much a work in progress. At this point in my tennis career, I continue to have my own ups and downs when it comes to adding new things to my game in order to create the best version of myself as a player. On this journey of getting comfortable being uncomfortable, I have come to realize that this is one of the most important aspects for both my player development and my character growth.
What I have talked about so far may seem a bit abstract, so let me give you an example of what I mean. When I was younger, my game relied was defined by my defense and my ability to counterpunch. At a young age, this proved to be an effective strategy that I grew comfortable with. However, as all of us tennis players know, in order to be successful at the highest level, you need to be able to play offense and be aggressive on the tennis court. You need to be able to create your own opportunities rather than just react to what your opponent gives you. Over time, I have worked hard to step outside of the confines of a counterpunching style and move into being more of an aggressive baseliner.
I must admit, this transition has not always been easy, nor has the progression been linear. I have had plenty of setbacks and difficulties in playing a way that isn’t 100% natural for me. However, I have realized that this is the only way to play in a highly competitive sport. Adapting to a new game style has had its share of successes, as well as its failures. These failures normally result from a feeling of hesitancy that comes with stepping outside of my comfort zone. This hesitancy momentarily shakes your confidence, which in turn can lead to mishaps on the tennis court.
But despite the hardships that come with making significant changes, I have also had my fair share of successes that have helped me grow my confidence as a player and as a person. These mini-victories have taught me a valuable lesson: the only way that you can change is if you are willing to change.
It is not always the change itself that is most difficult; rather, the decision to take that first step towards crucial adaptations can prove to be harder than anything. It takes an incredible amount of patience and discipline to continue committing to these changes. This has been one of the biggest obstacles in my tennis career; but it has also become one of the most significant lessons in my life.
If you read my last tennis article, you would know that one of my favorite things to do when writing my blog is to connect my tennis career to my life as a human being. I take pride in what I do on the tennis court, and I consider it a duty of mine to expand the impact of tennis outside the lines.
As I said earlier, what makes me feel comfortable in life is having a routine that I can count on. Predictable things are easier to manage. However, based on my experience (and probably everybody’s experience), I have come to realize that you cannot always rely on things being exactly as you planned them to be. Hardly anything presents itself in a straightforward fashion. What if something goes wrong? What if something turns out to be much harder and more complex than you were expecting? This is where flexibility and the willingness to adapt comes into play, which is something that my tennis career has given me so many valuable lessons on. Challenging yourself to adjust to a variety of different scenarios breeds mental toughness, which I feel I have gained from 14 years of playing high-level tennis.
Tennis is an unpredictable game. As with any other sport, no one can possibly foresee what will happen next. This is why being open to new ideas and styles is such an important skill that is necessary for long-term success. This brings me to the next major challenge: the reward often does not present itself immediately. It could take months, or even years, to reap the benefits of the adjustments that you make to your game. But those benefits make your resilience and hard work feel that much more worth it.
I have learned that tennis is far more than just forehands and backhands. The game is filled with intangible elements that may take a while for a player to fully grasp; but these intangibles prove to be critical in the evolution and growth of the player. On top of that, this evolution goes beyond the tennis court. These ideas can and must be applied to every aspect in life, which is why I find the correlation between tennis and life so valuable.
All Things Tennis and Politics 