At Wimbledon, the claim almost surprised when Daniil Medvedev appeared at a press conference after his round of 16 win: “When I’m not in the tournament, I don’t watch it. I like to disconnect, do other things. I only watch it very rarely”. As surprising as it may seem, the Russian is referring to… tennis.
A month later, on the sidelines of the Hopman Cup, Borna Coric went in the direction of the third player in the world: “I never watch tennis. I don’t have time because I want to go home and enjoy my friends.”
In an era where training rates are becoming hellish, where social networks have taken over everything during free time, can we really blame players for not inflicting tennis matches on top of view?
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz – Wimbledon 2023 © Action Plus / Panoramic
It is above all a story of generation for Éric Winogradsky, coach of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga between 2004 and 2011: “At the time, we collected a tape and watched the matches in full. Today, platforms offer a whole host of options that allow you to specifically watch and analyze each other’s games,” he summarizes. Some players also hire personal analysts to avoid this chore.
Some have an innate sense of the game and will quickly feel things
Éric Winogradsky
However, the culture of winning also involves analyzing the game of one’s opponents. Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam winner and considered hyper-experienced, admitted he learned a lot watching the Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, won by the Spaniard.
“I thought they were both playing better and better and you could almost see Alcaraz learning as the game went on. […] I also watched the teams a bit and saw the players and their reactions between points. It was interesting to see that the frustration was there, but also to see how they reacted. It was good, I’m really happy to have stayed to watch it” explained the Briton during the traditional “media-day” in Washington, who, at 36, still maintains his relationship with tennis.
Andy Murray – (c) AI / Reuters / Panoramic
In the end, everyone will decide whether or not to “eat” tennis to accelerate progress on the tactical level. Especially since this culture of viewing is not given to everyone: “Some have an innate sense of the game, will analyze things very quickly, feel things very well. Some have a little less this ability, that’s where the coach must fill any gaps,” explains Eric Winogradsky, current coach of the “Ambition Grand Slam” group at the French Tennis Federation.
It is also up to the coach to do this work to relieve the player, again according to Eric Winogradsky. “Apart from his player’s matches, the coach has to go and see others, training too, it’s additional work he has to do. The player is not going to spend his day doing that either”, he continues even if he is convinced of the benefits, for the player, of watching tennis as much as possible.
Mental health, which has become crucial for players
As much as possible yes, but at what cost? Many players, like Naomi Osaka or Amanda Anisimova, have recently taken a career break due to unstable mental health. A pressure difficult to evacuate which rebounds outside the tournaments and in everyday life.
Is it then necessary to persist in watching one’s sport on television? “To recharge your batteries, you have to manage to cut as much as possible with your activity. Some players are totally addicted and can’t cut. I think there are less. It’s important to refresh ideas and neurons” assures Eric Winogradsky. This reasoning is also valid for players who cannot help consuming their sport, everywhere, all the time.
Naomi Osaka – Tokyo 2022 © Zuma / Panoramic
If nothing is proven on the subject, it is logical to think that a feeling of fed up is more likely to settle in these competitor profiles.
Young players have lost the habit of watching tennis
On Twitter, following Andy Murray’s statements about the Wimbledon final, a response caught the eye. That of Ivan Ljubicic, former player and coach of Roger Federer. “Today, I find that young players don’t watch tennis enough. They only watch the highlights, which obviously say nothing about the game. There is so much to learn from the matches of other players” regretted the one who is director of the “Ambition 2024” mission at the FFT.
A criticism largely validated by Éric Winogradsky: “You have to fight. They watch bits, summaries on social media with amazing points. But unfortunately that’s not the reality of the game. We encourage them to watch as many games as possible, rather than chatting on social media and being on their mobile all day.
This is for the ‘manual’ on HOW to watch tennis matches if you’re a player. Today I find that young players are not watching enough tennis. If anything, highlights, which obviously don’t say anything about the match. So much can be learned from matches of other players https://t.co/deqJ9iZXbo
— Ivan Ljubicic (@theljubicic) August 2, 2023
But then, how do you watch a tennis match to get positive things out of it? “It’s above all not doing anything else on the side. You have to be attentive, not look at your phone every three minutes. The problem is there today. When you have enough experience and are well focused on the task, there is nothing better. At the time, we had a DVD and we ate it whole”, concludes Eric Winogradsky who would like more rigor on the part of young people when performing this task.
This does not guarantee a better career. But it allows at least to maintain a certain culture of tennis which seems to be lost since the advent of social networks.
2023-08-15 12:58:45
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