The US Open 2026 is just around the corner. Between comebacks, new coaching teams and mental pressure, the pros show us how to prepare for major tournaments.
A big tournament is coming up, and your head is spinning: Is your form right? Is the tactic correct? These are exactly the questions that the absolute tennis pros are currently facing ahead of the US Open 2026. The tournament in New York is casting its shadow, and the stars' preparations show a clear picture: success in tennis is only partly a question of shots. The rest is mental attitude, tactical adaptation and the right environment. When you prepare for your next tournament match, you can learn a lot from the pros in Flushing Meadows.
Sometimes things just don't go well on court, and you have to pull the plug. An extreme example is provided by Stefanos Tsitsipas. According to reports from tennisnet.com, the Greek has brought in prominent help after a mixed hard-court season and the split from his father as coach: Patrick Mouratoglou is set to support him in New York. Tsitsipas is trying to clear his head and find new impulses by making a change in his team. For your own game, this means: if you are stuck, change something. This doesn't have to be a new coach – sometimes a new training partner or a changed pre-match routine is enough to refocus.
Alexander Zverev arrives this year in a completely new situation: he is seeded number one at the US Open, as world number one Jannik Sinner is missing due to knee problems. According to tennisnet.com, Zverev feels the pressure and the big goal of becoming world number one, but he relies on proven recipes. To get into Grand Slam mode, he brought Novak Djokovic directly to his side in training for intensive sessions. Experts like Patrik Kühnen emphasise that Zverev's key to success in Paris was offense and courage. If you are the favourite at a tournament, do not try to just manage the victory. Be active in the rallies and trust your strengths instead of becoming passive out of fear of making mistakes.
Not every shot in your own repertoire is perfect. This is shown by the discussion surrounding the young Filipina Alex Eala. As Tennis365 reports, her serve is often criticised by experts as being too slow and a weakness. But the reality on court looks different: due to extreme spin, an unusual flight curve and her left-handed slice, her service is extremely uncomfortable to return. Even top players like Felix Auger-Aliassime admitted in training that her serve is hard to read. The lesson for your game: you don't need a record-speed serve to be successful. Precision, spin and the ability to keep your opponent guessing are often much more valuable than pure power.
The draw in New York is a tough one. While Zverev has caught a slightly easier half on paper according to Tennis Majors, others have to fight their way through a real field of top-class players. Carlos Alcaraz returns after a four-month wrist injury and faces the dangerous Roman Safiullin straight away. Novak Djokovic could meet Stan Wawrinka or Matteo Berrettini as early as the second round. In the women's draw, the bottom half around Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff is particularly extremely dense. The pros show the right attitude here: they take it round by round. There is no point in getting annoyed about a difficult draw. Accept the opponent in front of you and adapt your tactics flexibly from match to match.
Your takeaway: Focus on your strengths, make bold adjustments to your environment and act offensively even under pressure.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.