After a summer filled with lots of tennis, travel, and tournaments, it was time to get back to the practice court and put in a lot of work before going out to compete again. My coach (Andrew Rifkin) told me that this would be our most intense preseason yet as we had about 18 days total to get me ready for this coming two month swing. Usually we like a minimum of 3-4 weeks for a preseason, as you really need to give your body a lot of time on court and in the gym. Andrew warned me that this would be mentally and physically taxing as I would not only be battling some of Florida’s hottest weather and humidity, but would be on court 2 times a day for around 4-5 hours total a day 6 days a week. I woke up, went to tennis, ate, stretched, and slept… There was not much energy to do pretty much anything else after days like that!

I want to share a few different videos in this blog that give an inside look into the type of training we were doing both on and off the court!

30 minute Interval Training Circuit:

Below you will see a video, in which I do a voiceover highlighting the purpose of an interval circuit. This is hands down one of the most tiring 30 minute circuits I have had to date, but it is amazing what this does for your game!

Essentially, I do 45 seconds of work (with exercises such as push ups, v ups, kettle bell swings) followed by 10 seconds of rest and then I jump right back into 45 seconds of hitting over a high net that is about 2 feet higher than the actual net. This forces me to work on net clearance, depth, and better preparation and balance. Throughout the entire time I am hitting, I am trying to work on racket head acceleration, topspin, depth, and proper balance both during the shot as well as recovery after!

The single arm kettle bell-swing forces me to not only work on power in the legs and hips, but also tires the arm out allowing me to be looser when I hit the ball. 

Forehand Consistency Drill:

In this video, you will see a short clip below of me working on forehand consistency. The focus here is again racket head acceleration, contact point out in front of me, as well as depth. I am looking to hit at least 20 forehands in a row anywhere within 2 feet of the baseline give or take.

Gym Power Cardio Circuit:

In this video you will see an edited part of my power cardio circuit where I do 15 kettle bell swings (not shown) followed by 10 box jumps, 45 seconds each of 2 different footwork movement drills, 45 seconds of mountain climbers, ending with 15 more kettle bell swings (not shown). I usually will do this circuit around 4 times!

Fast Feet Drill:

In this last video, I want to highlight another footwork drill I do to work on coordination, quickness, and balance. It is just a short video, but footwork is everything in tennis. I have to be on my toes, light on my feet, and balanced in order to properly be ready to hit every ball the way I want to hit it.

Speed and Cardio Training:

When I do not have access to a track, I put the speed on the treadmill as high as it goes and will run 45 second intervals. Essentially, I run as fast as I can for 45 seconds then rest for 45 and repeat for around 15 minutes or so! This is a great way to build endurance and explosiveness. 

Lastly, I have been trying to run 2 miles at around a 5:30 pace to also build up my cardio stamina. The combination of these various exercises on and off the court has been instrumental in my confidence on court!

 Final Recap of Fall Preseason:

I would be lying if I said my body was not seriously sore and mind exhausted throughout this preseason. I was taking Epson salt baths multiple times a week, stretching every night for who knows how long, but everything came together. I pushed my body and mind more than I have before, but as painful as that process was, it could not have been more rewarding. As it comes to an end, I could not feel more ready to compete in Futures Events in Israel and Africa! I not only am in some of the best shape I have been in, but also mentally am really locked in. I want to build off of what I accomplished in France and am really excited about this upcoming swing.