Wildcard Tournament for $100K ATP Challenger:

            Even though the wildcard tournament this past weekend did not go as well as I would have liked, it gave me some solid practice before competing this coming weekend (February 3rd and 4th) in the Qualifying of singles for the Challenger. I felt throughout the tournament that I was tentative and tight, which is surprising because I have not felt that way in a long time. The last couple weeks I definitely think I have been a bit anxious about this upcoming ATP Challenger and in turn have allowed it to impact my on court performance.

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After finishing a long fall season, I decided to take almost 2 weeks off of all activity to give my body and mind a break. In hindsight, I think it would have been a lot smarter to maybe take 5-7 days off of tennis, but I did not go to the gym at all during that time, which I regret. I have learned the hard way that this boom or bust type of regimen is not the way to go, rather finding a happy medium during my downtime is critical. Put it simply, my first week of training has been filled with me feeling sore almost 24/7!

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First off, I want to wish all of my blog readers a Happy New Year! I apologize for my lack of posts over the Holidays. Lots of exciting things happened the past few weeks, so this post is a bit longer to cover everything that happened at the end of 2017!

Reunited with Current & Former CMS Stags in Southern California:

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Jet Lag:

After 35 plus hours of travel and two back-to-back red-eye flights, I arrived at Los Angeles International Airport absolutely exhausted and disoriented. Somehow I managed to stay awake that day, but my body felt awful. I knew I had a big tournament starting Saturday, so I got back to work first thing Thursday morning. I expected myself to come out sluggish, out of rhythm, and heavy on my feet, but I actually had a very solid practice. Given that South Africa is 10 hours ahead of Pacific Time, my afternoon practice that day and Friday were both dismal as it was still 4am for me. I did not let those jet-lagged practices bring me down and mess up my mindset for my tournament. I wanted to have a strong showing as my dad came to watch me play and moreover it was my 23rd Birthday that weekend on December 9th.

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Last Round of Qualifying:

Excitement, nervousness, and, at times, an odd sense of tranquility ran through me before my final round of Qualifying. After beating my first professionally ranked player in the second round of qualifying, I went up against the #6 seed from Germany who was ranked around 1400 in the world.

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First Week Mix-Up:

 Going back to my last blog post, I mentioned how I almost could have ended up in Indonesia for a tournament, but thought I had everything sorted out. Even though I arrived safely in Stellenbosch, South Africa it turns out I was wrong. Since the tournament in Indonesia had more prize money compared to the South Africa tournament, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) would not let me play in South Africa even though I got a Wildcard into Qualifying. The ITF has a rule that does not allow players to withdraw late from a tournament to enter another tournament with less prize money. Basically, a player can only switch tournaments late if the tournament he wants to enter is a higher-level one.

 

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Training:

 After having an off-week, I was eager to change the narrative and have a solid week of practice before heading to South Africa. I knew I had to stay positive and let go of last week even though I was frustrated and disappointed with my week of practice and last tournament. Between writing last week’s blog and talking things through with my sports psychologist, Jeff Greenwald, I really felt at ease by last Sunday night in regards to my off-week. I knew that there was nothing I could do to take back what had transpired, so instead all I could do was challenge myself in a different way. Jeff reiterated to me the importance of “changing expectations for curiosity”, which I found resonated with me a lot. Monday, November 6th rolled around and I was determined to be curious and trust the process this week.

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Training:

In stark contrast to the strong first 5 weeks of my fall preseason, this past week has been very inconsistent. Not only have I felt sluggish and just distracted on court, but I have also felt that my diet and energy have slipped.  While I am usually able to come back from a day off feeling energized and ready to go, I have felt the exact opposite this week.  Though it is easy, in these moments, to make excuses and shift the blame on external influences, my performance this past week has been entirely in my control and is ultimately something I have to own up to.

 

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Throughout a tennis match, a player has to manage his or her mental and physical “state”. Tennis players constantly have to battle their mental state that may at times steer them off course and take them out of the moment at hand, forcing them to worry about results or things outside of their control. As a match becomes tighter, the ability to stay truly present in the moment can become harder and harder. A lot of times, tennis players, including myself, can see the finish line, yet there is a lot of tennis to be played before walking up to the net to shake your opponent’s hand. In situations where players have critical break point chances, are serving for the set or match, or are deep in a third set, players can begin to lose perspective of the moment at hand and be overcome by emotions, doubt, and outcomes.

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Tennis is one of the most fascinating sports in the world in my opinion. Not only do you have to control your mental state for periods of two to three hours at a time, but also you have to exert immense physical strength, athleticism, and agility to run down balls. Tennis is a grueling sport that requires mental grit, intense stamina, and balance of one’s mind and body. I truly think there is no other sport in the world that requires an individual to solely be responsible for so many various things at once. Unlike team sports where a player can rely on a teammate to take the game winning shot, tying field goal, or assist, tennis is an individual sport in which no one can decide to hit a key shot on a big point other than you.

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Despite just beginning my fall pre-season, I already love the grind.  These first few days in Florida have been a whirlwind of activity–with constant on-court training, yoga, meditation, and gym workouts keeping me busy the majority of the day.  Though it has taken some getting used to, the Florida heat and inescapable humidity are crucial in preparing me for the intense Vietnam climate I will be facing at the end of October. Even though I have my anxieties about leaving friends and family, I find reassurance in the knowledge that I am pursuing my passion.  Stepping into a complete unknown is a scary feeling, but my passion and love for tennis continues to guide me.

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As I embark on this year-long tennis journey, I am beginning to feel a wave of emotions. While this has been a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid, I can’t help but feel apprehensive and anxious, but also extremely excited. I have an unequivocal sense that this is the right next step for me- there is no better time for me to purse my deepest passion than now. 

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