Every year, the US Open shows how important mental toughness and tactical adjustments are. Here you will find out how the pros survive in crunch time.
In tennis, a match is often decided not by the most beautiful shots, but in the head. When it comes to the decisive phase – the so-called crunch time – the wheat is separated from the chaff. The US Open offers us recreational players excellent examples of how pros deal with extreme pressure, develop tactically, and manage their energy. Valuable lessons for your own game on the court can be drawn from the reports about the tournament.
An outstanding example of mental strength is the young American Learner Tien. According to reports from tennisnet.com and Tennis Majors, the 20-year-old has a flawless record of five wins in five five-set matches played in his career. Against Jakub Mensik, he turned around a deficit of 1:2 sets. Tien is characterised by enormous toughness and a strong counter-punching game. He uses the energy of the crowd, stays calm, and fights his way back point by point.
Also in the women's game, it is clear that perfection is not always necessary to win. According to Tennis365, tennis legend Martina Navratilova analysed Aryna Sabalenka's game and gave her only a "B" grade despite a victory. The reason: Sabalenka lost her service game several times, but played outstandingly precisely "when it mattered". This shows: You do not have to hit every ball perfectly. The important thing is to keep your concentration high in the key moments.
Another mental trick comes from Elena Rybakina. When asked if she was thinking about the top of the world rankings, she explained, according to Tennis Majors, that this was still a long way off. She focuses exclusively on the next match and tries not to think about it. This focus on the immediate protects against blocks caused by excessive pressure of expectations.
In addition to the mental component, tactical adaptation is crucial. Ben Shelton defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. According to Ubitennis, Shelton explained afterwards that he had improved significantly: his movement, his consistency from the baseline, and above all the play immediately after his own serve – i.e. the first and second ball after it – made the difference. He focused on constantly repeating these routines to put the opponent under pressure.
At the same time, tennis at the professional level is changing rapidly in technical terms. As tennisnet.com reports, there was a historic premiere at the US Open: for the first time in the history of men's tennis, no player with a one-handed backhand reached the semi-finals in an entire Grand Slam season. Roger Federer cited modern equipment and a lack of role models as reasons for this. For ambitious players, this shows how important it is to adapt your own technique to the modern, faster game.
Development also includes proper load management. According to Tennis Majors, Carlos Alcaraz emphasised after his injury break how important breaks are for mental and physical health. In order to have a long career, you have to learn to listen to your own body and take conscious time-outs.
The pros show how it is done: success in tennis is the interplay of mental strength, tactical discipline, and physical fitness. For your own training, this means:
Your takeaway: In tight phases, focus only on the next shot and accept mistakes to stay mentally stable in the decisive moments.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.