- Australian Open entry list: Nadal in with protected ranking, No. 97 cutoff
- Tim Henman Plays Tennis for 24 Hours to Benefit Children’s Charity
- Caroline Wozniacki and Six Aussies Receive 2024 Australian Open Wild Cards
- 2024 Brisbane event includes Nadal, Murray, Dimitrov, and Osaka
- Rafael Nadal Announces Brisbane Return
- Alicia Molik Named Adelaide International Tournament Director
- Defending Champion Tiafoe Returning for U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship
- Including doubles, Sinner defeats Djokovic three times in 11 days
- Sinner the hero as Italy captures first Davis Cup title since 1976
- Dana Mathewson Wins Two Gold Medals at the Parapan American Games
- Gambill: Wayne Arthurs One of Top 3 Servers
- Davis Cup Finals Draws and Schedule for Sunday, November 26, 2023
- Stars Set for LA Tennis Bash on December 9th to Benefit First Break Academy
- SOLINCO NEW RACQUETS THE WHITEOUT AND BLACKOUT XTD+
- Serbia and Italy advance to Davis Cup semis, setting up another Djokovic vs. Sinner showdown
10sBalls • Managing “Energy” During A Tennis Event By Craig Cignarelli
- Updated: April 8, 2018
Photo by @VolvoCarOpen via Twitter
Recently, I spoke with a coaching friend who claimed one of the most important aspects of working with top ten players is the ability to help the athlete manage their energy. With press conferences and sponsor meetings and autographs and photo shoots, not to mention the various interviews and suite-meets and gym sessions and practice court time, the life of an elite athlete makes serious demands on time and energy. Even when they are not on court, they are constantly “on.” Factor in the added anxiety of going deep into a tournament and playing for millions of dollars and you can see how it could wear on one’s soul.
The players lounge at major tournaments always hosts intrigue. There are often foosball and ping pong tables, basketball hoops and video games, and a series of board games from chess to backgammon. Competitive athletes tend to be competitive regardless of arena. And so, while it rained today in Charleston, players and coaches left the 800K tennis tournament to battle in a various types of competition. A Yahtzee game garnered high-fives and backslaps. In one corner, poker players forewent Five-Card-Draw and summoned up the rules to Slapjack. One doubles team looked like a pair of Rodin sculptures as they contended over a chessboard.
A day off the courts allows blisters and bodies to heal and provides time for the mental divots to repair. As the rain postpones the monumental pressures of professional tennis, these athletes can cleanse their competitive palettes in an arena which requires competitive spirit but allows for laughter and fun. If you’ve seen the Federer-Nadal video of these two giants laughing hysterically while trying to shoot a promotion, you get the idea.
Lesson: Learning to manage your energy requires an understanding of active recovery. Active recovery means finding ways to engage your skill set outside of your normal activity. Sometimes something as simple as the weather can provide a means for re-directing your energy. When you get those opportunities, spare some energy for a rainy day.