Are You Watching the Battle on the Tennis Courts?

There is a duel currently going on in tennis. Novak Djokovic is pushing Rafael Nadal out of the spotlight. Rafael Nadal is the current world champion, holding the French Open Title for the past five years. Up until now Nadal has been the one to watch. Simply put, Djokovic has been amazing on the court. He is not satisfied with the No. 2 or 3 positions. His plans are to own the No. 1 spot.

Djokovic has been on an unparallel streak and is stepping into the French Open in a strong position. His 39-0 winning streak is something to notice. If he continues to play strong, he is slated to beat John McEnroe’s long time record of 42 straight wins as he becomes the new world champion, surpassing Nadal.

Unlike other tennis competitions, the French Open is a clay court tournament. Clay courts, unlike traditional hard or grass courts, contributes to longer matches and longer points. The strategy for clay court, therefore, is different than the other courts. Aerobic fitness and maintaining focus for long periods of time is the key to winning on clay. Strong tennis players on the traditional hard court or grass may not survive the longer sets, posing challenges for many players.

Djokovic has shown turnaround performance. On the court he has dramatically changed from excellent to exceptional. Many players improve technically without ever having a dramatic surge in performance. So what caused his sudden rise to the top?

What is noticeably different with Djokovic is his mindset. This season he has been in the zone. With pure, focused attention the speed of the ball appears to slow down, making it easy to meet the ball where it lands on the court. Djokovic has mastered his inner power.

Three elements have aligned in a dynamic balance, providing the impetus to his current winning streak.

1. Vision – is powerful. Connecting to his goal, believing he is capable of achieving his goal set him up to win game after game. Now Djokovic is playing in a power position instead of just staying alive on the court. His ability to see himself as a winner is empowering and defines his strategy when competing.

2. Motivation – is the desire to do whatever is necessary to turn a vision into reality. Now that he is playing to win Djokovic is taking more risks than his opponent. Risk is necessary to win.

3. Action – effectively utilizes motivation, turning it into focused energy. Winners take inspired action. Each action takes Djokovic one step closer to his goal to be ranked No. 1. A positive focus is energizing, providing the momentum to push further than his opponents.

These three elements are shared by all highly successful athletes. Vision, motivation and action combined overcome other shortcomings. Winning is 90% mindset. Players stepping onto the court with confidence, believing in their ability to win, play in a different manner than players who compete wondering what place they will finish.

Djokovic appears simultaneously relaxed and confident on the court. A relaxed manner creates focused, concentrated energy. Mental clarity, focused attention, emotional stability during long matches combined with physical preparation led to his rise.

Djokovic discovered his reason to play stronger this year. The bottom line is he became driven to win. Connecting to his purpose made him unbeatable. His drive to train and play at a higher level is fueled by his purpose. This year his actions aligned with his vision and his drive. Djokovic was going to do what was necessary to win no matter what.
Vision, motivation and action. This combination causes an excellent player to become exceptional. Djokovic is the one to watch; he has been unstoppable.