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Are upsets contagious? It seemed for a long time on Friday that Djokovic and Federer had caught the upset virus that plagued Rafael Nadal on Thursday. Federer and Djokovic survived and moved in to the the third round of Wimbledon but not without precarious moments.

Brad Gilbert made an interesting comment that upsets can become contagious. I would agree if a top player entertains the idea of being upset and lets it gain energy. Right around the time of Gilbert's comments Djokovic lost the first set to a dangerous net rusher on grass, Radek Stepanek. Djokovic righted the ship immediately in the second set and went on to play some outstanding tennis to win in four sets. After the match Djokovic was asked if he was thinking about how Nadal was upset. He said he was not, but you have to imagine it was hard to not think "this can't be happening to me".


In the evening Roger Federer fell down two sets to Julien Benneteau. In the third set Fed was within two points of losing the match at two different times . Federer stayed calm and found his way through a tight third set. After the third Roger was able to get on top of Benneteau early in the fourth and fifth sets and dominate on the way to victory.

Both Djokovic and Federer were able to counteract their opponent's efforts by taking control of the match, unlike Nadal who was being pushed back off the court by Lukas Rosol's power. Federer was likely feeling pressure because he has to be thinking about how many chances he has left to win Wimbledon. This is a great opportunity for him this year. He won't have to play Nadal.

Federer remained composed and continued to attack despite being within two points of losing the match. He looked calm and not flustered whereas Nadal was clearly showing the frustration. In support of Rafa, Benneteau was not hitting winners all over the court with the first swing like Rosol. Fed knew he could gain control of the match and thus it was easier for him to remain positive and focused. While I watched the match I noticed the Federer did not give Benneteau any facial expression or bad body language to let him know that he was frustrated. Roger did a great job of staying neutral in his body language.

Djokovic and Federer avoided the upset bug on Friday. I expect them to have an easier go of it in the fourth round and for them to face off in an epic semi-final. Then again maybe the upset bug will get them in the next two rounds. If one of them begins to dwell on or visualize the chances of being upset it can come true. It will be crucial for Djokovic and Federer to stay focused on playing their game and not allow the thoughts of losing to creep in and take hold of their mind. These guys are masters of the mental game so it will take an amazing effort like Tsonga's comeback in last year's Wimbledon to put doubt in to their minds.

Lukas Rosol shocked the tennis world yesterday defeating Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon. How did Rosol pull off the biggest win of his career? It was a combination of big tennis and fearlessness that enabled Rosol to knock Nadal out of the Championships.

Fate loves the fearless - James Russell Lowell

Rosol, ranked 100 in the world, had never won at match at Wimbledon; not in the main draw or in qualifying. Yet, he looked totally confident on Center Court. Rosol's tactics were to hit huge serves and groundstrokes and take the initiative from Nadal. Rosol's forehand and backhand were routinely clocked over 90 mph. He did not allow Nadal to control the points. Instead, Nadal was pushed back off the court in a defensive position. The "first-strike" tactic was even more effective because the grass is still slick during the first week and in the fifth set they played the match with the roof shut.



Despite going for huge shots, Rosol made 20 winners and 2 unforced errors in a super clean fifth set. It was some of the biggest, cleanest tennis I have ever seen. And, he produced this brilliant tennis after taking a 45 minute break and having to win a one set winner-takes-all against Nadal. What an incredible effort.

Rosol's attitude of going for it is exactly the kind of tennis that is needed for this kind of upset. If you try to rally with Nadal he is going to punish you. Rosol did not allow Nadal to get in to a rally. To play "first strike" tennis you have to play with great confidence. Rosol was exuding confidence by the fifth set. He knew Nadal was frustrated and that he was playing the best tennis of his life. And, instead of letting the moment get to him he went with the flow. He continued to hit out even in a pressurized fifth set.

One dynamic that aided Rosol was the fact that his expectations were not too high. He was just hoping to be competitive against Nadal, as he said in his pre-match interview. When you are not expecting to win it can take the pressure off and allow you to open up and hit out.

Still, Rosol could have tightened up as many players have in the past when in a winning position. He could have backed off his strategy and hoped that Nadal would make mistakes and give him the match. That, of course, will not happen. Nadal gives you nothing. Rosol knew he had to keep his foot on the gas pedal and he showed the courage to do so despite the inevitable tug from your brain to not blow the match. Rosol stayed aggressive and he was rewarded with the biggest upset in recent years.

Nadal's ousting opens up a tough half of the draw. Andy Murray knows he will not have to play Nadal and potentially just Djokovic or Federer to win Wimbledon. However, Murray is in the nastiest part of the draw with Roddick, Del Potro, Cilic, Raonic and Querrey all seeing an opportunity to play deep in to the second week. If Murray survives the next few rounds look for him to make the final.

The Wimbledon fortnight is just about upon us. Players are probably feeling nerves as I write this the night before the main draw begins. The first round is often the most nerve-wracking round, especially for the top players as they try to get in to the rhythm of the Championships. Already John Isner and Venus Williams crashed out. Who is next?

Who is going to come out with the coveted Wimbledon title?

Tennis.com Profiles of Top 12 Contenders for Title

In my opinion Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are the obvious favorites on the men's side. They have the confidence to go all the way. Fed especially is driven to win another Wimbledon and set himself up for a run on the same grounds for the Olympics. To say that these guys, specifically Federer, will be feeling the uber-importance of the next month is an understatement. History will be made and one of these guys could stand above the others in history if they were to win Wimbledon and then Gold at the Olympics. Who has the most pressure on him? Andy Murray of course. This could be a defining moment for Murray or more disappointment. I will be watching closely to see how he handles this huge opportunity.

On the women's side the field is open. My favorites are everybody's favorites - Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. Sharapova has the look of confidence again, and Serena can beat anyone when she brings her full game. Grass accentuates Williams' big serve and groundstrokes. Petra Kvitova will try to defend her title. Watching her in the first round she looked nervous. Hopefully she can get comfortable and give herself a great shot at repeating. Beyond those three players you have to consider Victoria Azarenka and Sam Stosur has the other players that have a great opportunity to win Wimbledon. Big games in different ways, but both can control a match with their power.

Wimbledon has a mystique and a pristine atmosphere about it. The players feel the importance of this tournament, probably more so than any other Slam. To win Wimbledon is to be etched in to history forever. However, the pursuit of the Wimbledon trophy is as anxiety-provoking as any situation you will find in tennis. From the grass and how the wear and weather affect the bounce of the ball to the difficulty of breaking serve, players are feeling the pressure. It will be exciting to watch how they handle such an awesome opportunity and the mental dynamics that they are confronted with as they pursue the Championship.

Wimbledon qualifying has begun! The main draw starts on Monday, June 25. I will begin blogging my reactions to the events happening at Wimbledon.

Can Roger win one more? Will Rafa and Nole meet in the Final again, and has Nadal surpassed Djokovic? Will Sharapova continue her dominance? Will one of the Williams' sisters make a run? Or, will we have another surprise winner on the women's side? Can Isner breakthrough and get to the final weekend? Does Roddick have another Wimbledon run in him? So many questions waiting to be answered.

The blog will focus on key matches and the mental dynamics that occurred in those matches. I will attempt to show how players were able to mentally win or lose matches and then boil that in to lessons for junior players, coaches, and parents.

Only a few days from Wimbledon. I can't wait to see what will happen on the grass.

David Nalbandian kicked his way in to infamy Sunday at the AEGON Championships. In the second set of the final match against Marin Cilic Nalbandian was up a set but down 3-4. Nalbandian was clearly upset about losing the point as he sprinted towards the sideline. Then he kicked the barrier in front of the linesman. What Nalbandian may not have realized is that the barrier in front of linesman Andrew McDougall was not made to block anything but maybe a slightly struck tennis ball. The kick bloodied McDougall and ended with Nalbandian being disqualified from the match.

See the Nalbandian kick on YouTube

"I never intended to hit him (the line judge), it was an unfortunate reaction in which I wanted to let off steam after losing a point," Nalbandian's statement read (ESPN UK site). 

Indeed it did not seem that Nalbandian had an issue with the linesman and acted with intention to harm him. However, this is why your parents tell you to count to ten when you are angry. Acting without thinking can create real problems.


Am I surprised this happened? Sure I am, but not as surprised as I am that Nalbandian blow up to this degree when he was in a winning position (up a set at that point). Clearly Nalbandian did not stop and think about his actions. This is a great example of acting off of the emotional mind and how it can lead to serious consequences.

In the heat of the moment you want to be in control of your emotions, not allowing your emotions to control you. So, even though he was quite upset, had Nalbandian taken a moment to calm himself this incident never would have occurred and he could have bounced back and still won the championship. Furthermore, had Nalbandian been at the net he probably whacks the net or slams the racket, but he would not be disqualified for those actions.

Ultimately, athletes want to be respected and this action does much to hurt Nalbandian's reputation. To his credit Nalbandian was apologetic immediately and showed concern for McDougall but it does not wash away his lack of control in that moment. If you are a tennis player reading this post use this as a reminder to get in control of your emotions so you can maintain or enhance your reputation as a player and a person. Learn to relax and compose yourself under pressure, and even change your thoughts about a negative situation.

You should have at the very least 3 ways you can calm and compose yourself on the court.

Want to learn more about enhancing your emotional toughness under pressure on the court? Check out the USTA Mental Skills and Drills handbook or contact me for a personal consultation.

Maria Sharapova was dominant at the 2012 French Open. She handled surprise finalist Sara Errani and completed the career grand slam. The new #1 in the world has retaken her place at the top of the WTA tour and should be a threat for years to come.

The French Open site posted a brief, but very nice piece on Sharapova the champion. The post references Sharapova's excellent mental game.

Maria Sharapova, French Open Champion and All-Time Great



Sharapova, despite some struggles in recent years, is becoming once again the best and most consistent player on the tour. Her trademark focus and tenacity set her apart from many of her opponents. Sharapova has consistent habits and routines that allow her to stay focused and be ready to play her best most points. She also displays good positive energy like bouncing on her toes or a reserved fist pump, and gives off very little negative body language. Sharapova, more than most of her opponents, is willing to hit out on the ball under pressure.

Sharapova has come all the way back from a major shoulder injury that could have ended her career. Despite bumps on the road back to greatness, Maria remained dedicated to training and believing in her self. Now it has paid off with the career grand slam. Congratulations Maria!

Sam Stosur talking about her French Open semi final loss to Sara Errani, "You're always going to be a bit nervous going into a semi - it's the semifinal of a Slam, of course you're going to be nervous." Stosur overcame those nerves to play brilliant tennis and defeat Serena Williams at the 2011 US Open. Today, however, it was her opponent than managed the nerves better.

Peter Bodo at tennis.com gives an interesting take on the match between Stosur and Errani (French Open Errani d. Stosur). His opinion is that Errani won with her mind. Despite it being an up and down affair, in the end Errani held strong as she broke Stosur and then won four straight points to serve out the match. Errani held her nerve despite losing a break in the third set.


Bodo also wondered how Stosur could play so mentally tough at the US Open to defeat Serena, but then "choke" as he called it (he said it not me) again at the French. First, my reaction is that Stosur is less confident on clay and it takes her out of her comfort zone. Djokovic deals with a similar issue. He is not as confident with his movement on clay and so when push comes to shove Djoko is not as amazingly confident on the dirt as he is on other surfaces. This does not mean that Stosur and Djokovic cannot win a slam on clay, it just means that it is more difficult for them.

Another point is one I made previously on the Tennis Mental Edge blog (Does a Mentally Tough Player Suffer from Nerves?). Mental toughness is not a permanent trait. It can come and go. A mentally tough player will still deal with nerves, some days better than others. The greatest such as Steffi Graff, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert were able to be mentally tough more often than not. However, no one is perfect, and no one owns mental toughness. You always have to work at it. Errani did not try to hide her nerves, but seemed to feel she managed them better than Stosur.

"I was very nervous but at the same time I was really focused on the game. Maybe she had more pressure."

The flip side of this point is that there is always hope. Players not considered to be mentally tough can develop it. The mental game can be won even if you have failed in the same spot in the past. Sara Errani has developed a belief over the past two weeks (and this season) that she can defeat top 10 players. On a surface that suited her more than Stosur, and being on top of her game, she had to go into this match believing she could win. 

What will be very interesting at the Final is if Errani continues to believe in herself and can see herself as a French Open champion. Can she envision herself holding the trophy after defeating Sharapova? Time will tell, because like I said each situation challenges your mental toughness and belief. I hope Errani comes to the Final trusting her game as she has all year and continues her remarkable run.

Maria Sharapova provided us a clinic on how to serve out a match today at the French Open. In defeating Petra Kvitova, Sharapova won her way in to the French Open final to face Sara Errani. If you missed Sharapova serving out the match try to find it on You Tube or watch it on French Open Tonight. For a tennis mental coach it was awesome to watch!

Sharapova broke Kvitova to go up 5-4 in the second set and to serve for the match. Instead of rushing to get the balls and start the game, Sharapova turned her back, looked at her strings and prepared herself for the next game. There was no huge outburst after breaking and seemingly no doubt about it. Sharapova meant business and served it out at 15. She made four of five first serves and never looked like the outcome was in doubt.

What can all of us learn from Sharapova? First, Maria clearly had a plan for dealing with the situation of serving out a match. You might think this is a ridiculous statement since she has won hundreds of matches and all tennis players, if they play for much time at all, are faced with the situation. However, many tennis players have no plan for how they want to work through the serving out situation. It seems players without a plan have a chance to serve it out and they think "oh wow, here I am what now?" Who knows what happens next. If you do not have a plan you leave your hopes of winning to chance. Sharapova leaves nothing to chance. She immediately went to a pre-planned routine. What she was thinking, I don't know. Just as important, though, is the fact that she had a plan to compose herself and to be ready to serve it out.

The next thing I liked about Sharapova's serve it out game was that she took her time. She did not rush to get the balls or to step up to the line. She took her time. Sharapova went at a pace that was comfortable to her in the situation. Her pace created a composure that you could feel through the screen. Just watching her made me believe she would serve it out.

Along with that last point was Sharapova's body language, very confident and controlled. Her face looked determined but not agitated or nervous. She stood tall and looked strong. Sharapova seemed loose and not tense, and at the same time intense and focused.

Finally, and the thing that I look for to determine a player's focus, Sharapova focused her eyes in select points of the court.  Prior to serving she looked down at the racket, up at the other service box, then back down as she was bouncing the ball, and then as she was raising the racket to serve she almost rolled her eyes back. Then, boom, she cracked the serve and her focus was narrow and external - on the ball.

Even between points Maria kept her eyes on her strings and within her area behind the baseline. No looking around at the crowd. No looking to her box. It was an exhibition of great confidence. She knew what she had to do and knew she was going to do it. She did not need moral support from her player's box. Sharapova trusted in her game and controlled the service game with the pace she wanted. Her approach was not affected by the emotion of the situation. Furthermore, her body language was sending the message of total confidence and her eye control kept the distractions out of her field of focus.

What a great exhibition of confidence and focus. All because Sharapova had a planned routine that she has practiced.

#1 in the Novak Djokovic was down two sets to Andreas Seppi of Italy. About that same time Roger Federer was down a set to lucky loser David Goffin. Earlier in the day Victoria Azarenka was sent packing by Dominika Cibulkova. A wild Day 8 was underway. Later in the evening both Tsonga-Wawrinka and Del Potro-Berdych would be suspended due to darkness.

Djokovic and Federer would survive the fourth round, but not without some anxious moments. Seppi was within two games of defeating Djokovic in the third set. Djokovic seemed uncomfortable with his footing at different times throughout the match. His uncertainity aided Seppi's excellent play. However, like a champion, Djokovic played with more conviction in his shots from the third set and on and hung in the match. Eventually, Seppi's play dropped just enough for Djokovic to pull away. It would not have happened though had Djokovic lost his focus and dropped his intensity.



As Federer did with Goffin, Djokovic was able to raise his play enough, even if it was not his "A" game to take control of the match. Azarenka, in contrast, seemed unable to grab control and lost momentum as soon as she got it at 6-5 in the second set. Unlike the men, Azarenka was not afforded the luxury of losing two sets and still having a chance to win. She was unable to hang around and finish off Cibulkova in the second.

The fine line of hanging around and making balls and being aggressive is difficult to find for all players. Federer and Djokovic have the ability to find that line more than others even when the pressure is on. Azarenka was excellent at finding the line at the Aussie Open as well as most of this year.

What is the lesson here? It does not make sense to go for lines when you are missing. You need to put more margin of error hitting inside the lines more and higher over the net. At the same time, if you become to predictable or just hit rally balls you will give your opponent the opportunity to control the match. You have to be smart when to pull the trigger and when to keep it in play.

What does the less than best play from Djokovic and Federer mean for their future in this slam? Nothing. All players go through matches where they struggle. Both players are resilient and will play well on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Azarenka she will not get the chance. No worries, she still one of the favorites for Wimbledon and the US Open.

How did Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland find the zone down 2 sets to 1 and 1-3 in the fourth? Gilles Simon of France was riding the home crowd energy and pushing toward the finish line. However, Wawrinka found another gear and eventually won the match going away in the fifth set.

For much of this match Wawrinka dictated the outcome of the points having far more winners and unforced errors (in fact 82 winners to Simon's 23, and 88 unforced errors to Simon's 49). Gilles Simon attempted to play more aggressive and finish points by coming forward, but the "easy power" of Wawrinka allowed him to control the court. In particular his backhand down the line punished Simon time and time again.



Thus the issue for Simon in this match; he did not have the weapons to dictate against a powerful baseliner Wawrinka. Despite this, Simon was able to gain the lead and seemed on the way to victory playing very solid, consistent tennis. This game plan worked until Wawrinka stopped making errors, became more consistent, and hit a flurry of winners. In the fourth and fifth sets Wawrinka flipped his winners to unforced errors ratio; he had 28 winners and 21 unforced errors.

The question still remains, how did Wawrinka get into the zone after nearly 3.5 hours of tennis? First, Wawrinka must be in tremendous condition. Simon forced Wawrinka into long rallies throughout the match including grueling Sets 1-2 that took over 2 hours. Wawrinka continued to move his feet and get in to position to strike the ball late in the match even though he expended tremendous effort in the sets prior.

Second, Wawrinka was able to find the zone because Simon was playing great tennis and gave Wawrinka a chance to elevate his game. Simon is not going to hit you off the court; hitting winners is not his game. This gave Wawrinka a ton of looks at the ball, he got into a superb rhythm, and he was able to maintain that for the last nearly hour of the match. The zone or flow state can be achieved when the challenge is optimal. Wawrinka was challenged, but not so much that would cause a decrement in his play. That is a problem when you play his countryman Roger Federer . Fed is not going to give you that many looks to get into a rhythm.

A third reason I would speculate that Wawrinka found the zone in the fifth set when most players would have been just trying to hold on physically, mentally, emotionally - Wawrinka was composed and did not waste extra energy throughout the match with emotional outbursts, fights with the officials, or yelling at himself. Wawrinka, even though his play was a little bit of a rollercoaster, did not allow his emotions to take him on a rollercoaster ride. In doing so, Wawrinka was in a good mindset despite being down 1-3 in the fourth. He still believed he could win. He just had to start making more balls, something he controls. And, like I wrote before, Simon was not going to hurt him too much so Wawrinka knew the match was on his racket. Wawrinka's emotional toughness allowed him the opportunity to find his "A" game in the most intense situation.

In the round of 16 Wawrinka will have a rematch from last year's French against Tsonga. Wawrinka was down 2 sets to 1 in that match as well. He will have great belief he can win this match. If he plays like he did the last hour of his third round match the rabid French fans will likely be disappointed again.

Day 5 of the French Open ended with a marathon classic between John Isner and Paul Henri Mathieu. Mathieu won in over 5 hours and 40 minutes because he stay composed and made fewer mistakes. In contrast, Isner struggled with his forehand much of the match and eventually his penchant for unforced errors and ill-timed drop shots cost him.

Throughout the match both players were showing signs of frustration in their reactions and body language. Mathieu was frustrated by Isner's ability to serve away break points. Isner was just plain frustrated. He hit his racket on the ground several times and even shook his head in disgust after a winner.



Needless to say a marathon match is going to cause negative emotion and body language. In the end Mathieu handled the situation better. Despite showing frustration at times, Mathieu bounced back quickly the next point. He showed positive energy bouncing on his toes and moving forward when the opportunity presented it's self. Mathieu, despite injury problems that have kept him off the tour for some time, showed the belief that he could defeat the #10 seed. Maybe this belief was bolstered by being in his home country and having the support of the crowd, but also it was bolstered by Isner's negative energy. Isner did not exhibit the confidence and energy that he normally shows.

The problem for Isner was that his negativity in body language gives Mathieu belief and he hampers his own game. If you expect bad things to happen, bad things will happen. But, give Isner some credit. He fought hard and found a way to get it going again. While looking negative Isner many times found a way to fight through it. And, he continued to go for his shots. His forehand was huge in the match. Isner either hit a winner or unforced error, but he was able to control the points, especially on his serve.

Isner obviously could have won this match despite not playing his best, but his shot tolerance was very small. After about two balls Isner went for the winner. Not a bad a strategy for a big guy not comfortable on clay, but he was making tons of unforced errors. In this situation making a few more balls may have made the difference. It is hard to say; Mathieu was super consistent throughout the match and was wearing Isner down late in the fifth.

The real issue occurred late in the fifth set. Looking tired, Isner began shortening the points even more by going for the winner on the first ball. The last few games on Mathieu's service Isner seemed to barely go for several points. With darkness covering Philippe Chatrier, Isner could have slowed down, tried to conjure up all of his energy for each point, and attempted to hold on until darkness caused play to be suspended. Instead, Isner went faster, almost rushing between points. In several occasions Isner waited at the service line while Mathieu toweled off.  Isner attempted to hit winners straight off the first ball and with fatigued legs made a string of unforced errors to seal his fate.

As darkness fell, Mathieu's composure despite losing six match points and Isner's fatigue and impatience were the difference. Congratulations to Mathieu for getting back to a level where he can compete with top ten players.