Building mental toughness, otherwise it hurts!

The Australian Open, first grand slam of the year 2009 was won by the world No.1, Rafael Nadal of Spain (d. Federer) on Sunday, February 01, 2009 at the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park. The spectators witnessed the best ever professional tennis with all possible expertise and competence by world’s two greatest tennis players and marked with professional supremacy, skill set, and determination.  Perhaps no tennis players have met more often than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on all types of tennis surfaces. 2009 Australian Open final was the 19th match they’ve played and Nadal has won the last three Slam finals, five overall with career results leading to 13-6 against Roger Federer. Perhaps most impressive is Nadal has won on three surfaces—the clay of Roland Garros, Wimbledon’s grass court and now the Australian hard courts as well.

Rafa, Roger rivalry is at its peak even in 2009 and let’s see what happens next in Roland Garros. The hot discussions are going on among tennis experts as well as fans regarding the future of the tennis players in the coming event of the ATP tournaments and other grad slams of the year. The thing which is important here is that who so ever wins will be mentally and physically tough enough to play the best possible game.

The cognitive state of mind hurts when a dire attempt to have something, felt deeply deprived of, fails.  The internal locus of control reveals its sense of boredom, restlessness and fatigue when things go not as per planned efforts and desires. Sometime we see a consistent relationship between the valences under observation and the consistency is so high, thus significantly predictable. Out of last 18 meetings, Roger is leading the Andy Roddick with 16-2 and at the start of the first semifinal at the Australian Open; every body was expecting Roger to win and the result was obvious.

In a game like tennis, one has to be mentally tough enough to be able to play his or her natural game at the day. One should not underestimate the opponent and keep on preparing drastically to expect something unexpected. One should also keep on innovating new strategies and tactics to review his or her performance both in game and after the game is over. Sometimes, the habit to win so dedicatedly, consistently and impressively puts you in a state of no where to escape. Soon stages are going to be set again, players are going to be warming up, the coin is ready to be tossed, and the innovative tactics will click.