One week before the tournament
For every tennis player, the upcoming tournament is a big event. Athletes train hard, invest a lot of money and sacrifice many things to fight for the win to proceed to the next round. To increase your chances of a brilliant performance, you should prepare thoroughly for this special event. But when should you start preparing for the competition?
Some players start the preparation 30 minutes before the match. When the second set of the last match starts, they start their physical preparation. They begin to run, perform some dynamic exercises, and do specific activities with a resistance band. All these routines are executed while listening to the favorite music that helps them improve their focus on the incoming battle and prepare the mindset to perform optimally. Other players believe that proper preparation starts the day before the match. They set up a specific plan for the match that includes their strengths and weaknesses. If they already know the opponent well, they imagine how to avoid the rival’s weapons and find the weaker sides to get an advantage on the court. They also pack the bag, buy specific supplements, and think about the schedule for the next day to take care of all the details that can have a negative impact on their comfort zone. Both these approaches are good, but they are not enough to prepare for winning all the matches up to the final stage.
In the beginning, it is important to understand what a high-quality preparation should include. By finding out these specific aspects, every player can create their unique routine that will be comfortable and intuitive. To play well and be able to fight for the trophy, the player should take care of six different areas: technique, tactic, physical preparation, mental preparation, nutrition, and recovery. If you omit one of the aspects, you decrease your chance to overcome the obstacles and have an advantage over the rival.
Professional preparation should start a least seven days before you step on the court with a rival across the net. Of course, you are not going to do your pre-match warm-up a week before, but you have to keep in mind some various aspects that have a positive impact on your game today and soon. By paying attention to your daily activities, you increase the quality of your work and can be sure that you have done everything you could to prepare optimally for the incoming challenge.
Below are the most important factors that you should start taking care of one week before the tournament:
Playing points.
No more technical drills. It is not the right time to divide your strokes into parts and practice them. Instead, focus on playing points because your decisions and reactions to different scenarios on the court decide how you will compete in a few days. Play many open drills and compete as often as possible to start feeling the pressure. You will train how to focus on your performance instead of results and get more comfortable with playing under the tension.
Take care of your strengths.
You are not going to win the tournament by avoiding your weaknesses. Actually, you are going to beat the rival by using your strengths. Make sure that during every practice, you are aware of your weapons, and you use them in various patterns as often as possible. If you have an outstanding forehand, try to serve widely to the ad side and take the position on your ad side to cover almost the whole court with your strength.
Winning mindset.
Tennis is undoubtedly a mental profession. The individual format of the game puts a lot of pressure on your mind. You can have a powerful serve and consistent returns, but if you do not have a proper mindset, you can underperform while battling for the win. Use visualization, read motivational quotes, and write down all positive aspects after every training session to build your confidence and step on the court as a winner.
Prepare your machine.
Your body is your machine. If you adjust your body for optimal functioning, you can be sure that your performance does not drop under the given level. What does your body need? Water and food. Drink a lot of water on and off the court, and take care of a diet proper for the athlete. Make sure you provide your organism both macro and micronutrients to so playing long matches will not affect the quality of your strokes and decisions. What you put on the plate can make a big difference in your next week’s performance.
As you can see, winning takes more than 25 minutes of physical activity before the match starts. The glory consists of many nuances. The more aspects you take care of, the higher your chance to leave the court with a trophy. Start thinking about the competition seven days before it starts, and you will see that every day is a stepping stone to the final success.