For the best players in Adult tennis, true preparation starts long before the day or the week of important tournament matches. The foundations of everything they need to do to be prepared to compete at the highest levels are built slowly over time. Their habit of preparation is ingrained into their lifestyle.
In tennis, there is conditioning and then there is tournament-level conditioning. A USTA League player is required to play one match a week. Even when that team hits playoffs or Sectionals, it is unusual for an individual player to need to play more than two matches in a day.
In a tournament, a player who competes in Singles and Doubles might, under some circumstances, have to play four matches in a day. Ideally, a tournament player might have to follow that up with additional competition the following day. That requires a level of conditioning that has to be built up over time.
Consequently, the best players in Adult Senior tennis prepare for potentially grueling conditions by building up a solid base of cardio and strength stamina. They spend a lot of time on the court and in the gym. Some players even go so far as to structure practice sessions into separate blocks of time that simulate potential tournament play.
Sometimes players will even rehearse tournament match day by actually running through their precise routine from the moment they get up through an actual practice match. In particular, sitting around near the tournament waiting for a court assignment desk can amplify any pre-match jitters. Becoming more familiar with the pattern reduces the likelihood of physiological or psychological duress. The idea is to train the mind and body toward normalization of the pre-match routine.
New shots or patterns of point play are honed long before the actual competition. The very best players in Senior Adult tennis develop their technique over a long duration. You won’t see these players randomly deciding to overhaul a shot immediately before a tournament. In the week leading into an important match, that long-term preparation is leveraged as a foundation for fine-tuning their arsenal.
One thing you will rarely see the best players doing during tournament week is experimenting with new foods, sports drinks, or nutritional supplements. If there is a new product that they want to try, they will give it a trial run in their practice sessions to check for any adverse effects. Similarly, they will not play tournaments in brand-new clothing that hasn’t been tested under match conditions. That discipline stems from their habit of preparation.
A common characteristic shared by the best players in Adult Senior tennis is living a lifestyle of preparation. For many, it has become a subconscious and indelible part of everything they do. Excellence in preparation is one of the 12 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Players. Fortunately, this is achievable by every player regardless of any natural talent for the sport.
Throughout 2023 I am exploring the 12 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Players. A complete summary of all posts on that topic and what is coming up for the remainder of this year can be found on the 12 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Players homepage.
