​“Play the ball, not the opponent.” — Anonymous (Traditional Coaching Wisdom)

Why is it so difficult to ignore the opponent and just focus on the ball?

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u/pypoupypou — 5 days ago

"What is the single most important quality of a tennis champion? I would have to say desire, staying in there and winning matches when you are not playing that well." - John McEnroe

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u/pypoupypou — 29 days ago
▲ 930 r/gaybros

Vilnius Pride today is fantastic! Best wishes to gaybros all over the world 🌈

u/pypoupypou — 30 days ago
▲ 1 r/TennisPsychology+1 crossposts

Similar skill/capability, losing 0-6 remaining set after a breaking point

I played a tournament match lately, where I barely won a set after a tie-break, the opponent was strong and at some point, I thought he would break me. After the tie-break I won everything 0-6. It seems that the power dynamics shifted significantly after that tie break. And psychologically we both went to complete opposite sides - one gaining confidence and focus, another losing it. I have been on both sides myself during my tennis journey over time.

I observed the same in the latest match between Sabalenka and Shnaider. Sabalenka lost 0-6 after she broke.

Have you encountered this, what your strategy to recover and counter that "breaking", what works for you in such situations?

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u/pypoupypou — 1 month ago
▲ 2.0k r/TennisPsychology+2 crossposts

Sabalenka on her thoughts of the today's match: "No thoughts, no emotions. Just wanna quit tennis right now, but we'll see in few days. Hopefully I'll get back on track mentally"

u/hourlyproblemsolver — 1 month ago

"Tennis is mostly mental. Of course, you must have a lot of physical skill, but you can’t play tennis well and not be a good thinker. You win or lose the match before you even go out there." - Venus Williams

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u/pypoupypou — 1 month ago