The Tennis Success Factor: Fatigue...
Dinara Safina and Juan Martin Del Potro have had incredible seasons and the year is not over yet. One sometimes forget that when a player who has been losing in the second or third round suddenly starts to reach the semis and finals at most tournaments he/she is playing a lot more matches, as well as spending more time on off-court media and sponsor commitments. In 2007, Novak Djokovic had a very strong year for the first time in his
career and it showed when he reached the ATP Masters Cup in Shanghai where he seemed to be exhausted. In 2008, Djokovic has also seemed to struggle at times with the additional media scrutiny, demands and pressures as the Australian Open Champion and the third ranked player in the world. In 2008, Ana Ivanovic has also struggled since winning her first Grand Slam title at the French Open and becoming ranked Number One. For Safina and Del Potro, the challenge will be to fight off their fatigue and end the year on a high by playing well in the year-end championship (and Davis Cup Finals for Del Potro when Argentina plays Spain in late November). At the same time, Safina and Del Potro will need to work hard in their “sophomore seasons” as top-ranked players to deal with the media attention, pressures and expectations while also continuing to produce excellent tennis. It’s not an easy assignment.
|
