Dusan Vemic / Contributor
Yes, natural ability helps a tennis player, but I have observed firsthand how professionalism and detailed pre-paration can take a player to the highest levels of our sport. Let’s start with priorities. In Novak’s and the Bryan brothers’ cases, they have families, sponsor commitments, and they are all big on social media. Still, they have their priorities in order in what they want to accomplish each day in training, whether on site at a tournament or at home during a training block. It gives them self-respect and confidence to be 100% prepared before they walk onto the court.
Time Management
Being organized is absolutely crucial. The Bryan brothers are extremely efficient with their on-court time. They are a well-oiled machine and have a specific purpose each day. They know exactly what they are trying to do with their games for a particular court surface or upcoming opponent. At age 39, they are in a very good state of physical conditioning. Their intensity on the court is amazing. In a 90-minute practice, they might take only 3-4 water breaks and they are always very short. The drills that they do combine a lot of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. Come watch a practice with the Bryans and you will see why they are the greatest doubles team in history!
Nutrition It has been well documented about Novak’s nutritional discipline. The same could be said about the Bryans. Whether in training or competition, they are not eating for pleasure, but for fuel. They are very knowledgeable about which foods give their bodies the best chance to not only perform well, but also get quality sleep and recovery. They know how their bodies are going to react after eating. They are educated on the latest information and self-disciplined. Not wasting a stroke Mike and Bob will never waste a stroke on a ball in training. No matter how easy or difficult,…
To read the full article
