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Late last year we enrolled our 6-year-old daughter into Athletics. During her first few sessions, she found it challenging to compete and did not know how to handle ‘not winning’. This was really exciting for us. We have since had the opportunity to have multiple conversations and experiences that are enabling her to become more aware of the journey, rather than the result and also the importance of becoming resilient through every challenge she encounters. It is tough as a coach, parent, mentor, etc, to get through and make an impact at times. I have found following some basic principles helps the process. 

Anyone who has been following us knows how important we feel about building resilient young players. As much as we want to produce amazing tennis athletes, more so we want to help produce amazing young people.

These days it seems people are over-concerned about the result (winning) and losing is deemed as bad, it is not a stigma I want to be attached to my...

Ever wondered how the weather conditions of the place where you live affect your training for tennis? If you haven't, well... how can I blame you!

After all, whether you live in a country where it's warm the whole year or not, you probably got used to it by now and don't even think that somewhere else may be different.

But who knows, maybe now that you think of it, you're curious to know whether it's that different or not to train in a place where winter actually feels like winter!

Or maybe you're planning to move to the other side of the planet (or even only to the other side of your country) and wouldn't mind knowing what to expect!

Either way, keep reading because when it comes to cold weather and finding ways to keep training for tennis no matter what, I've got some experience!

Why you may ask? Because even though I'm Italian, I've recently moved from Côte d'Azur (France) to Finland, and guess what?

The shock (not only thermal, but that's another story! I wasn't...

FIND OUT THE 5 MUST DO'S FOR PLAYERS "OVER 40"

Training for tennis over 40 can be challenging! For many players, the loss of energy and time makes it challenging. We need to also consider physically what happens as we age (Loss of muscle mass, aerobic capacity, and flexibility).

These factors alone will make it hard for even the seasoned player to deal with. So what can we do to combat these issues?

Read on for our “5 must do’s” for players over 40.

Before we get into our 5 must do’s, the first area we need to attack is the “Mindset” this is an area that I have found most players over 40 struggle with. Many people reside in the fact they are aging and “that's it”.

They keep doing the same things all the time, with no improvement (It is like watching a sinking ship). We cannot do much to stop the aging process but we can, by all means, do our best to slow it down and make the most of what we have.

Switching the mindset to a growth mindset...

“Every player (especially young player’s) should read”

Dear Tennis Player,

Congratulations on picking the greatest individual sport you can play. 

You are going to have an amazing journey as you learn about this great game, but more importantly about yourself and those around you.

Tennis and training for tennis can teach you some valuable life lessons if you let it......

I wanted to give you some advice as you endeavor to be the best version of yourself. This comes from a place of experience and honesty, maybe these are things you need to hear.

I promise you, you will encounter these situations and feelings, so read on and take on the following 8 things (you may not want to hear the truth, but I can guarantee it can help change the way you think)

1. Losing– You are going to lose a lot of matches. That is the reality. Prepare for it and learn what you can from each loss. This is what we call turning a negative into a positive. Do not fall into the trap...

 Tips to Improve Tennis Training Intensity – Are you getting this right?

This blog is for the serious player or coach that wants to produce high-level players. 

The intensity that an athlete trains at dictates the level they will condition their bodies to play at. Simply put, if you train at a 6 out of 10, how can you expect your body to perform at an 8, 9, or 10 out of 10.

This simple principle is one of our key “Court Movement Principles”. In all reality, it does not matter what drill or tennis exercise you do, if you do not have the capacity to train at high intensity your improvements and results will be limited.

How can I get my player to improve their intensity?
This is the most common question we get asked each week.

Having seen many top athletes train, practice, and play. One thing stands out. When they are tennistraining off court, they push harder than they would on court, in a match.
Lleyton Hewitt, Sam Stosur, and Martina Navratilova...

Has the question “these kids have too much” ever crossed your mind? Or, things are “too easy” for these kids?

In this article I will share my thoughts of what I learned in my career training, competing, and traveling next to some of the best players in the world for the last 20 years, Rafa, Ferrer, Robredo, Lopez, Verdasco, Almagro, just to mention a few….

And what I learned as a coach, since the days I was on the tour until my years as a National Academy Coach for Tennis Australia.

Growing up in Spain, a country that generates a high number of top - 100 players was amazing but make no mistake, you had to work incredibly hard for it and nobody was going to give you anything.

Spain is a very high demanding and competitive environment if you are trying to make it like a pro and there is no room for softness.

With hundreds of competitive players from all ages, many tournaments all around the country, and being within a short distance from other countries...

We always tell our players – “The better your diet is, the better the tennis player you will be” Simply because the food you eat before playing goes directly to feed your body so you have adequate energy to play well. Then we need to consider repairing your body after exercise, a good diet aids in a quicker recovery. The food you eat needs to maximise your energy stores so that you can meet your energy demands throughout your game and afterwards. It also needs to supply quality nutrients, protein, carbohydrates and fats to help muscle and connective tissue repair.

If you play the game of tennis, then you know how demanding it is, recovery plays a massive role in performance, no one plays well when they feel crappy, sore and fatigued. The off-court evolution of tennis has been massively boosted over the last 5 years, mainly due to guys like Novak, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, and many others.... Players have been willing to open their minds and...

Most, if not every tennis player will develop some form of tennis injury during their career. Some injuries cannot be prevented, but you will be surprised how many of the below injuries you can be by doing one thing.

We will tell you more about that later on.

The most common injuries in tennis we see on a daily basis are, often overuse injuries.

Overuse injuries often develop slowly and can start out as mild discomfort that gradually increases and becomes painful. Some common overuse injuries are:

1. Tennis Elbow – A very common cause of elbow pain due to the chronic irritation of the tendons on the outside of the elbow.

2. Wrist Tendonitis – Caused by irritation and inflammation around the wrist joint. Usually, this will occur from a number of reasons; Equipment (new racket, heavy/wet tennis balls, court surface), bad technique, or overuse (most common cause).

This can be prevented with some simple yet effective strengthening tennis exercises for the wrist,...

TRAIN LIKE A PRO, PLAY LIKE A PRO….. It’s our slogan at tennis fitness. But what does training for tennis like a pro really mean?

We have copped some criticism (just a little) for our brand tag, some people have said it conveys the message that all players of all ages should do the same tennis exercises and loads as pros. Well, that’s not what we encourage and not what our brand tag represents.

Pros train hard, recover well, prepare for tennis with purpose, are consistent, and are committed. We have not met one yet, that hasn’t followed those principles.

Some obviously at different levels to others, but they all possess the ability to be able to get done what needs to get done and they do it with consistency.

Training for tennis like a pro takes years to master. These players condition their bodies to the workload that is required to thrive. They learn how to recover effectively and work out what specific tennis programs suit them and how they can get...

Staying balanced is important for constant development and improvement in tennis. If you have ever felt flat or stagnant with your tennis training, then there is a good chance your balance has been out.

When we talk about having balance we are talking about having a consistent flow or steady energy throughout your day and week. Waking up every day ready to go, feeling motivated, uninjured, and good about yourself.

So how do you know if you are balanced?

Answer these questions:
• Do you often feel flat and tired?
• Do you often feel unmotivated?
• Do you always feel like you are carrying an injury?
• Is your tennis improving?
• Are you getting fitter and stronger?

If you answered yes to more than one of these questions there is a good chance you may need to make some minor adjustments

Tennis Balance

Getting balanced involves increasing your focus on areas of weakness, or where you spend less time and decreasing your focus on the areas you spend too...