Maintaining Physical Fitness In Tennis
The tennis season can be gruelling at times for even the top most players, beginning and ending the year with major grand slams, and innumerable ATP Championships in the middle to gain points on the ranking table. Each player comes out on the court in every match wanting to reach the pinnacle of their careers. However it is the six weeks during the French Open and Wimbledon that takes a toll on the physical fitness of the players. Once they are done with the slow surface of the red dirt in Paris, they quickly have to switch gears and start preparing for the grass court Championship in London. It proves to be a test not just of stamina, but of mental fitness as well. Only those players that have mastered the art of pacing their games will be playing in the finals of major tournaments.
Rafael Nadal was unbeatable on clay before the pressure on his knees, doubled with the mental anguish of his parent’s separation took a toll on him. His physical attributes started to give way after playing four out of five weeks on the trot including the four hour gruelling battle against Novak Djokovic in Madrid. It all came collapsing down on Nadal, who was looking for a fifth consecutive win at Roland Garros, his hopes were dashed to the ground as he lost his semi final match against Robin Soderling.
The past year has been a learning experience for Nadal, he has just realised the importance of understanding his physical limitations. That is why this year round when he felt his physical reserves depleting against Andy Murray in the Australian Open, the former champion simply decided to retire from the game. Nadal knew the downside to playing out the whole match and did not want to repeat the mistakes he had made the previous year.
Nadal has followed through with the resolve of maintaining his limits, that is why he is refraining from excessive tennis even on his favourite surface clay. He has taken a week off to rest and recuperate after finishing off one tournament. Due to his disciplined scheduling he may have missed his favourite tournament in Barcelona, but he has regained his form winning fifteen matches and dropping only two sets enroute.
Champion Federer has been on the top of his game not just because of his skill but more importantly due to the fact that he knows his body well and keeps his schedule regulated. Throughout this season he made it a point to take breaks and pay careful attention to any sort of excessive pains. According to Federer its not physical activity that takes a toll but it’s the pressure on the courts that brings about mental fatigue.
Promising young American star Sam Querry admitted that it was mental fatigue that caused him to lose in the first round of the French Open this year. He said he was tired during the match and all he could think about was packing up and leaving. Thus he also pulled out of the doubles tournament because his mind was just not in the game. Losing focus also adds to the pressure of major tournaments. Querry’s scheduling could have been a major cause of concern as well, because he came to Paris after finishing off his match in Dusseldorf on the Saturday before the French open was due to start.
Roddick too understands the demands of a hectic schedule, but says that with time he has learnt to get a better grasp on his schedules than he did when he was young and eager to play as many matches as possible.
The tour circuit itself is a source of pressure for players who want to play as many tournaments not just for the want of the prize money but for important points to climb the ranking ladder. Keeping all this in mind players need to give careful consideration to the longevity of their career in return for missing some key matches.
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