It’s not unusual anymore for sports professionals to work with psychologists. The mind plays such a critical part in sporting success. They also work with therapists, to look to heal difficult and challenging personal issues from the past, It is unusual. however, for a top player to bring a spiritual guru into their team. Which is exactly what Novak Djokovic appears to have done. The world number one has turned to former tennis player, Pepe Imaz who now preaches the gospel of love and peace, through meditation and other self-reflective techniques. Will this translates into Novak’s results? Can love make […]

Its the Shanghai Masters. And Nick Kyrgios is making an early exit. His defeat to world number 110, Mischa Zyerev would only be a shock if the Australian was giving it 100%. Which he isnt. Complaining of boredom and tiredness, Nick once again incurs the wrath of the Australian sporting community with an un-committed performance. And of course the pundits start hawking the same questions…’Why does he do it?’…‘where’s his respect for the game?‘…’What could he achieve if he was really bothered?‘. None of which seems to trouble Nick Kyrgios. He’s making his way nicely up the rankings. And occasionally […]

It’s late Saturday night in Melbourne Park. Jamie Murray has just secured his first mens doubles title. In the players box recording his victory speech is his brother Andy. A nice touch. Apart from one thing. The next day Andy will be in the Mens Singles Final against the force that is Novak Djokovic. Is this the best mental, physical and emotional preparation for Andy Murray to secure his first Australian title? Seemingly not. From very early on, it is evident that Murray is off his game. Looking low in energy…listless…unable to put any pressure on the defending champion , […]

So Angelique Kerber secures her first Grand Slam title.  Holding her nerve to win the third set. when she might have been expected to buckle under Serena’s big-game pressure. It turns out that Kerber received a textual message from her idol Steffi Graff on the morning of the match. Can a textual message win a player a Grand Slam? Not by itself. But it can carry influence. We don’t know what the German legend texted, but it was probably a droplet of champions wisdom accrued from securing twenty-two Grand Slams. Because of Angelique’s idolatry for Steffi, it’s equal to receiving […]

It’s Novak Djokovic talking to courtside interviewer Jim Courier, straight after his outstanding Australian Open semi-final win over Roger Federer. Courier is discussing Novak’s current frame of mind. He asks if his quarter-final five set struggle against the awkward Gilles Simon left him with any lingering self-doubts. Novak is very clear. ‘Your convictions have to be stronger than your doubts’ is his response. To be a multiple Grand Slam winner and champion your mind cannot be riddled with doubts. That doesn’t mean that you dont experience them. But its in how you process those doubts that allows a champion to continue […]

‘I’m hitting a yellow ball across the net into some lines’. It’s Johanna Konta speaking after her Australian Open quarter final victory over the qualifier Shuai Zyang.  She is explaining to the press her perspective about the game. It’s rare to hear a professional player speak with an almost childlike simplicity about what they do. And yet it’s this simplicity and clarity that is key to Konta’s emergence and success. It’s as if the reason why she plays the game has not become corrupted by the demand for results and outcomes. Of course it helps that Johanna is winning. This […]

After the on-court dramas at Wimbledon, tennis observers weren’t expecting the talented Nick Kyrgios to be back in the news so quickly. So it’s a surprise to some, that the Australian is back courting the headlines again. His on-court sledge to Stan Wawrinka appears to have shocked the tennis world. And if it was anyone else but Kyrgios, then it’s unlikely to have created such a storm. In a lot of sports, an insulting sledge is part and parcel of the mental games. Employed strategically to gain edge and throw your opponent off balance. So unto itself, it’s of no […]

To see a great sportsman at the peak of his or her powers, is one of the reasons why top level sport can be so compelling. By the same token, it can be painful to witness a sporting great searching for one of their superpowers. And so it was with Rafael Nadal at the All England club yesterday. Rafa’s opponent, Dustin Brown, whilst talented, had only won four times previously at Wimbledon. But short of the vital champions currency of confidence and self-belief, Rafa was pushed aside by Brown playing the match of his career. Nadal didn’t fall short through […]

It’s the Rotterdam Open and Andy Murray is playing Gilles Simon in the quarter finals. To maintain a mental focus, Murray reads from handwritten notes between games. Those notes were photographed by a Dutch sports journalist and published online. They make surprising reading. The notes are the sort of instructions you might remind a sixteen year old player to remember. For example the seond notation is ‘Try Your Best’. This is strange. Andy Murray always tries his best. It’s one of his most consistent qualities. Why does he need to remind himself of this? Notation three is ‘Be intense with […]

Andy Murray’s pre Ivan Lendl career was blighted by moments of the Scotsman loudly berating himself. On court. Under pressure. For all to see. Especially in the big matches. The canny Lendl seemed to help Murray overcome this trait. No more beating himself up on court. No more letting his opponent know how he was feeling. Simply, putting the mistake behind him and staying right in the moment in a state of lucid concentration. A stronger mentality outweighing a highly charged emotion. So yesterdays meltdown to Novak Djokovic, came right out of the blue. Right out of Andy Murrays back […]