As a tennis coach you often hear the following from your players:
"I feel like I am not progressing fast enough", "I can't believe I lost that match, I am so much better than he/she is", "How is that player winning matches, they aren't that good."
It has been said that 7 out of 10 junior matches are pre-determined. In general players get what they deserve. Instead of going through the many examples of players who didn't put in the work and then were surprised when they didn't get results, I will tell you about Kaia Kanepi.
I remember watching Kaia Kanepi at last years French Open during the qualifying rounds going through her warm up routines. Her attention to detail was impressive and there was structure to everything she did. Before the first round of qualies the player I was coaching at the time had the opportunity to practice with her. We were all waiting outside the fence for the court to open up and Kaia was going through the routine I am sure she had done a million times, but there was definitely something different about it, something you see in all players who are on the rise, heading for great success. She was doing this boring, monotonous routine with focus and a sense of determination. There was an extra bit of energy and hop in her step to everything that she did. She went on to qualify and took world #4 Jelena Jankovic to three sets before falling. She is currently #16 in the world.
Kaia's rise to the top 20 in the world is not a new phenomenon but far too rare in the tennis world. Examples like hers have been seen in many different walks of life. It's like eggs and bacon. The chicken was involved but the pig was committed. Kaia Kanepi was committed and ready to do whatever she needed to do to achieve her goals.
If you are a junior player currently not getting the results you feel you should have, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if the level of work you have been putting in will lead to the results you desire. Remember it's not how hard you are willing to work, but how long you are willing to work hard.
"I feel like I am not progressing fast enough", "I can't believe I lost that match, I am so much better than he/she is", "How is that player winning matches, they aren't that good."
It has been said that 7 out of 10 junior matches are pre-determined. In general players get what they deserve. Instead of going through the many examples of players who didn't put in the work and then were surprised when they didn't get results, I will tell you about Kaia Kanepi.
I remember watching Kaia Kanepi at last years French Open during the qualifying rounds going through her warm up routines. Her attention to detail was impressive and there was structure to everything she did. Before the first round of qualies the player I was coaching at the time had the opportunity to practice with her. We were all waiting outside the fence for the court to open up and Kaia was going through the routine I am sure she had done a million times, but there was definitely something different about it, something you see in all players who are on the rise, heading for great success. She was doing this boring, monotonous routine with focus and a sense of determination. There was an extra bit of energy and hop in her step to everything that she did. She went on to qualify and took world #4 Jelena Jankovic to three sets before falling. She is currently #16 in the world.
Kaia's rise to the top 20 in the world is not a new phenomenon but far too rare in the tennis world. Examples like hers have been seen in many different walks of life. It's like eggs and bacon. The chicken was involved but the pig was committed. Kaia Kanepi was committed and ready to do whatever she needed to do to achieve her goals.
If you are a junior player currently not getting the results you feel you should have, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if the level of work you have been putting in will lead to the results you desire. Remember it's not how hard you are willing to work, but how long you are willing to work hard.
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