“Never say never. Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” These were the words of Michael Jordan in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2009. Jordan’s words are relatively simple to understand; but this quote could mean different things to different people, depending on their situation. Based on my experience, these wordsContinue reading “Fear in Tennis: A Hindering Weakness, or a Powerful Weapon?”
Category Archives: Tennis
Motivation in Tennis: Where Does it Come From, and How Do You Know if You Have Enough of It?
Tennis can be a grueling sport. People who do not understand tennis (or sports in general) think that a sport must involve physical contact between players for it to be considered “tough.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Based on my experience, tennis presents many obstacles that test the mental fortitude and willpower ofContinue reading “Motivation in Tennis: Where Does it Come From, and How Do You Know if You Have Enough of It?”
The Cycle of Confidence: What is Confidence, and How Does it Impact Performance?
Someone once told me that “tennis is only 20% physical, the rest is all mental.” Honestly, I disagree with this statement, and here’s why: based on what I have learned from playing tennis for a decade and a half, there is no way of separating the physical from the mental. The physical and mental aspectsContinue reading “The Cycle of Confidence: What is Confidence, and How Does it Impact Performance?”
Staying Within Yourself: The Connection Between Personality and Game Style
As you probably know by now, my tennis articles focus on the mental side of the game. My whole life, I have been told things like “tennis is mental” or “tennis is more than hitting a ball with a racket.” While I sort of understood what this meant in theory, I did not grasp whatContinue reading “Staying Within Yourself: The Connection Between Personality and Game Style”
The Bridge: A Metaphor for Performance on the Biggest Stage
“I could’ve sworn that he looked just fine when he was practicing! I don’t know what went wrong during the match!” These are common words of an angry parent or a perplexed coach after their tennis player has just performed poorly in a match. This can be applied to just about any sport there is,Continue reading “The Bridge: A Metaphor for Performance on the Biggest Stage”
Overcoming Mental Barriers to Performance: Nerves and Self-Doubt
“If I don’t feel doubt, I’m going to be in trouble. Doubt is very important to my success.” -Rafael Nadal If you know anything about the game of tennis, you would be sure to take Rafa Nadal’s words pretty seriously. But when I heard Nadal say this in a 60 Minutes interview, I must sayContinue reading “Overcoming Mental Barriers to Performance: Nerves and Self-Doubt”
Change and Adaptation in Tennis: Both its Difficulty and its Importance
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 isContinue reading “Change and Adaptation in Tennis: Both its Difficulty and its Importance”
Why Tennis? A Self-Reflection Based on Experience
This is a question that has taken a great amount of thought and self-reflection. My answer to this question is certainly not something that has come to me overnight. Only through experience and hardships have I reached some sort of an answer, which I will do my best to convey here in this article. First,Continue reading “Why Tennis? A Self-Reflection Based on Experience”
All Things Tennis and Politics 