So, what do the three players who have beaten Djokovic in last year’s U.S. Open, James Ward and Richard Gasquet, have to do with one another? In essence, they all have given the U.S. Open a boost. It was only two years ago when the two players beat Djokovic at the Australian Open, a feat that most tennis fans will remember. Now they are faced with an opponent from another country in another city for the second granddaddy of the women’s tournaments.
The team that beat septuplets in a row is America, a squad that has not had much success over the years. For a long time, tennis fans were skeptical of the all-out attack on the tennis courts in the U.S., particularly on clay. The all-out attack seemed to be a bit too much, and too quickly, for most fans. Two players from this year’s team have proven themselves to be genuine threats on clay, though. And that has helped America rise to the top.
James Ward and Richard Gasquet have combined for six set wins against top-notch competitors. They overcame world number three Djokovic, going all the way in the final set before falling to the Serb in the semis. From there, they went on to defeat Djokovic once more, in the grand final. The rest of the team fell apart. Ward and Gasquet have shown a willingness to play within the system, while Djokovic stubbornly clung to his strong tennis game.
You have to ask: how did they do it? They certainly weren’t playing against the best players in the world. Instead, they were up against a collection of lower-caliber players, many of whom have never been in a pro match before. So how did these players accomplish what no one else was doing in such a short time?
It starts with psychology. Ward and Gasquet are very confident in their own abilities. They both know that they have the physical tools necessary to win a set against anyone in the world. They also believe in their own mental edge. These are guys who rarely lose a match, and haven’t been known to let their confidence get the best of them. They remain focused, patient, and controlled in every situation, which is why they are capable of beating anyone.
In addition, they also know when to quit. This is not like, say, someone who is having a struggle through a set in a playoff set. The match isn’t even a real match for these players. They know when to stop, and they know what to do once they’ve stopped.
Finally, they have each other working for them. There’s no ego involved. Both are too focused on their goals to even care if they lose or win the match. They trust each other enough that they can just focus on the matches at hand. When they aren’t winning, they can still put in the necessary hours to practice and hone their skills. When they are beating opponents, they are still happy and positive about their efforts because they know that they can still come out on top.
What separates these three players who have beaten septuplets in a row from the rest of the pack is their ability to be so calm when things aren’t going their way. They realize that losing doesn’t make it forever. Winning breeds happiness and confidence. If they had lost before then, they wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the experience so much.
The most important thing in any sport is your mental game. If you’re mentally strong, then you will do just fine no matter what happens. However, some players exude such mental strength that they can overcome any obstacle thrown their way. These three players who have beaten septuplets in a row have proven that they have what it takes to win no matter what. They were able to maintain focus and not worry about everything going wrong.
Being mentally strong also entails being patient and putting in the necessary amount of effort. When there are obstacles to overcome, you can’t give up no matter how hard things get. Patience is the key to success, and these three players have exhibited the qualities of patience to get themselves out of trouble.
In order to win a match, you must be physically fit. You can’t expect to play a perfect game if you don’t have a good condition on the inside. If these three players had let their physical condition get the better of them, they might have been tired or frustrated by the end of their match. Being mentally strong is more important than being physically strong, so be sure you give your 100% today. If you do, you have nothing to worry about as long as you win against any opponent.
