The Lead Up...
The month or two prior to the four biggest tournaments on the annual tennis calendar vary a lot between the Grand Slams. Prior to the Australian Open, players have had their longest break of the year. Some players choose to play a few tournaments in January prior to the Australian Open, but many play only one choosing instead to prolong their vacation and practice time at home. Although there is no official “French Open Series” of events leading up to Roland Garros, most
players spend a lot of time playing warm-up events on clay courts in the U.S. and Europe. The timing of Wimbledon a few weeks after the French Open is the toughest transition in sports. Players need to not only recover from the grueling matches on the red clay, but also shift their styles 360 degrees to play well on the grass at Wimbledon. There are a couple weeks of warm-up grass court events, but it is often a tough call whether it is better to play the tournaments or simply take a break and practice on the grass. Of course, the frequent rain in England during June always presents challenges both prior to and during Wimbledon. Wimbledon is definitely a mental, as well as, physical challenge although the grass courts do feel better on the body. The summer months between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open offer two simultaneous warm-up series prior to the U.S. Open. For those inclined towards hard courts, there are several weeks of tournaments as part of the "U.S. Open Series" in North America on hard courts. On the other hand, some players who prefer to play on clay spend most of their summer in Europe on the dirt and arrive in the United States just prior to the start of the U.S. Open. In the end, there is clearly not one path to a Grand Slam title, but the key is more to adjust effectively to the changing seasons and be ready at show time!
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